


Plot Holes

by findmethestars (Atunenamedclara)



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alice in Wonderland References, Angst, Canon Divergence, F/F, Fluff, Memory Loss, Original Character(s), SQ Supernova, SwanQueen Supernova
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-06 16:32:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 22,508
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8760550
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Atunenamedclara/pseuds/findmethestars
Summary: Emma and Regina are living a blessedly quiet life after their return from the Underworld. All that shatters when a mysterious young girl crosses the town line, taking Emma's memories of life past her 28th birthday with her. Emma and Regina need to work together to stop her progressing her plans further, whilst at the same time dealing with the shattering effect her violation of Emma's life has on their relationship.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coalitiongirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coalitiongirl/gifts).



> Ok! First of all I owe a massive thank you to Mari (Coalitiongirl) for the beautiful art she created to go alongside this fic!  
> And I also need to thank Karlie and Becca for waiting (not so) patiently whilst I put the fic I promised them on hold for 5 months whilst I worked on this, it's coming soon, I swear! 
> 
> This fic is set sometime after series 5, although is canon divergent from sometime in the middle of the season. Hook is dead, Robin is dead and Regina never split herself apart. The Alice in Wonderland characters are in no way connected to the ones from OUATIW, they are my own take on the original Lewis Carol characters.

**_ Girl _ **

The Girl waved her hand in a harsh fluid movement, and evaporated the cloud of blue black

smoke she had just stepped through. Her white blonde hair glinted in the moonlight, the pale fragility of her skin seeming almost transparent. Blue eyes sparked with something otherworldly and not quite human, offsetting the angelic facial features she wore. She walked towards the line in the middle of the road with determined steps; she knew what she had come for and was here to claim it.  
She stopped, seemingly for no reason, and cocked her head to one side. She grinned, teeth flashing, and broke into a jog. No not a jog, a dance. The girl walked one way, twisted and walked the other, her feet following a rhythm only she could hear.  
She jerked to a halt at the line, placing her feet apart and standing determinedly, arms outstretched.  
She waved her arms in a wide arc and watched gleefully as deep blue sparks shot from her fingertips and spread out across the surrounding area. Once the magic had faded into the cold night air she looked around calmly, waved her hands as if to thank an unseen audience, and stepped over the line and into Storybrooke.

**_Emma_ **

 

Blearily Emma rolled over onto her side and squinted at the red numbers in the corner of her vision. 7:15 AM. She groaned and squeezed her eyes shut, wishing for the clock to move backwards in time, allowing her a few more moments of sleep.

Just as she felt herself drifting off again, a perfectly manicured fingernail poked firmly into her shoulder blade. She pushed it away angrily and pulled the warm sheet over her head. “Just five minutes....I’ll get up, I’m just so- OW!”

 

She turned her head to the side to see Regina leaning against the headboard with a smirk on her face and a pillow in her hand, preparing to smack it onto the side of Emma’s head again if she doesn’t get up.

“Emma dear” she cooed wickedly, not the slightest bit sorry “you’re late for work, those criminals won’t catch themselves.”

“Regina, in which realm is 7:15 _late?!_ ” Emma threw the words grumpily over her shoulder as she attempted to detangle herself from the bedsheets.

“In a realm in which you’re the sheriff of a magical town filled with many monsters and a 14 year old son that you share with the mayor?” She answered dryly as she turned her back to pull her leather boots over her calves.

 “Point taken” Emma shrugged and rolled off the side of the bed with an undignified thump.

“Can't argue with a queen, dear” Regina winked coyly.

Emma laughed despite the early hour and turned to her closet to get ready for the day.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma tied her hair into a tight ponytail, grabbed her jacket from the back of the bedroom door and ran down the stairs, taking two at a time. Regina was in the kitchen making coffee and Henry could be seen pacing around the sofa, trying to find a piece of misplaced schoolwork.

 

The routine Emma was witnessing with tired eyes was one they fell into several months ago, when a slightly less composed than normal mayor asked a bemused Emma if she “would like to perhaps move into her house on a permanent basis, given the amount of time you spend with my feet up my coffee table anyway?”

 

After quickly walking towards the door, certain she was going to be horrendously late for her shift, Emma remembered that she had an hour to spare today, due to a deputy catching up on lost time. Instead, she sunk gratefully down into the chair nearest to her, happy that she could spend some time with Regina, just sitting, which their busy schedules didn't allow for too often.

As soon as Henry started running down the street to catch his bus, the mothers shared a look of amusement as Regina lowered herself down into the chair next to Emma. She smiled at the blonde, leaning her head against her as she did so. In return Emma placed her arm around her and pulled her in, kissing her softly as she did so.

“So sheriff, what's the plan for today?” Regina asked, taking a sip of the coffee she had placed on the table ahead of Emma’s entrance.

“Not much so far as I know. Everything seems to be under control at the moment. Actually, it has been this way since we got back from New York. I mean, at this rate Henry might actually finish his first year in high school without any near death experiences, that’s one for the record books.” Emma laughed, marvelling at how easily they had fallen into a routine as soon as all the danger has been dealt with.

“Well, don't count your chickens before they hatch, dear.” Regina replied,  “You never know, I might drown in paperwork, in need of a heroic rescue mission. Seems likely at the moment, because with of the works for the hospital and library. I didn't realise sooner that building something needed an entire _forest_ to be pulverised along the way, but I suppose I was wrong.”

Emma laughed and leaned over to pick a piece of toast off Regina’s plate, smirking innocently at her soft _tsk._ Emma pulled her phone out and sent a quick message to Ruby, confirming lunch plans for later in the week and reluctantly Regina took hers, only to write an irate email to one of her many incapable employees. She looked up from her phone when the blonde woman sniggered softly and held out her phone. Regina slapped her hand away and laughed when she saw the screen, some of the tension draining out of her.

“You… Turned me into a dog?” She asked, quirking an eyebrow.

“I told you Regina, snapchat is _way_ more interesting than magic. If you just upgraded that brick you call a phone then you would have a whole new world of fun. Seriously. Dog filters over ripping out hearts _any day.”_

The former Evil Queen grinned and rolled her eyes fondly, leaning away with a sigh as her phone began to vibrate.

“Hello?”

As Regina spoke softly on the phone Emma allowed her eyes to wander appreciatively over the woman’s lean but strong body, her gaze lingering on the shirt buttons on the mayor’s chest that just waited to be opened. Regina looked over and smirked knowingly at the slightly hungry expression on Emma’s face, only to roll her eyes a second later and draw a hand across her neck in response to whatever the person on the other end of the line was saying.

 

“…Ok. Yes, I’ll talk to her. Ok. Goodbye.”

Regina snapped her phone shut and looked at Emma apologetically.

“Regina…whatever you're about to ask me I…”

“Emma, listen. I just need you to-”

“Reginaaaa!” Emma whined, pulling her best sad face on to try and divert her girlfriend’s attention from whatever hellish favour she was about to ask.

“Emma, that was Leroy.”

Emma pulled a face and stuck a finger in her mouth, looking far too much like her 14-year-old son for someone who claimed to be a responsible adult.

Leroy and favours always involves a lot of running, unnecessary shouting and an awkward family dinner later that night where Regina lectures her on _social responsibility_ and _using civil language in public._

“Look Emma, it won’t take long, and if you do it I _promise_ that I won’t let him talk you into any more ridiculous favours for at least for a month.”

The blonde rolled her eyes and leaned back in her chair, hands up in surrender.

 Regina let a small smile grace her lips, before continuing apologetically.

“He wants you to drive along the town line to check for holes in the barrier. It’s technically part of his community service hours but it’s dangerous and I’m not sure your mother would understand if I sent him off to his death.”

 “He WHAT?!” Emma yelled, not bothering to keep her voice down. Regina shrugged helplessly. This is ridiculous, even for Leroy on a bad day, but there was nothing she could do except give in.

“What…how…where do I even _start?!_ _”_ Emma squeaked out, before grabbing Regina’s coffee and taking a gulp from it.

Regina grabbed her cup back and swatted at Emma’s hand, continuing to explain.

 “He wants you to drive along the borders of the town and check for weak spots. I don’t know how, but we’ll figure something out together. You’ll start at the entrance, and then work your way through the forest and back around to the entrance. Do it in a circle. It’s two days of work, three if you take it slow.”

_“_ Can I get one of my lackeys to do it then?” Emma asked in a moment of hope.

“No, it needs to be done with magic. Look, I'm sorry Emma, I really am. But maybe it will actually turn out better than you hoped. I know it’s a tedious job, but if there _are_ weak spots, we could potentially find a way to fortify them, which would be useful next time someone decides that blowing up Storybrooke is the next item on their To Do list. Do it for me Emma?”

Emma hesitated, the pleading look in Regina’s eyes somehow taking apart the words “No, no way, absolutely not” and turning them into “ _Fine!_ But on one condition.”

“Name it dearest and then we can talk.”

“You come to visit me during your lunch hour with food from Granny’s and you don’t comment on my childlike eating habits.”

“Deal. Now Sheriff, if you’ll excuse me, I have paperwork to set on fire and you have weak spots to find.”

Regina lent in and sweetly kissed Emma, leaving her to brood in the kitchen, a piece of toast in hand.

 

 - - - - - - - - - -

 

Emma pulled up at the town line, wheels squealing in protest and skidding on the uneven ground. “Ugh here we go,” she muttered as she slammed the door. The cold November air sent shivers down her spine, making her pull her hat down over her ears, and rub her hands together in a feeble attempt to generate some warmth.

 

She had visited Gold before her reluctant trip to the border, trying to get advice on the best way to approach this insane job. Mockingly, the imp started a long explanation, muttering about “throwing the magic, feeling the wear around the edges, etc etc. etc.”.

Emma interrupted him about 3 minutes in, and was now standing on the asphalt severely regretting it.

Slinging her backpack over her shoulders, she pulled out the scarf she took from Regina’s wardrobe and wrapped it tightly around her neck, heading towards the white strip painted on the road as she did so. Closing her eyes, she concentrated on her magic, thinking of it as a physical matter as Regina had instructed her.  She felt it on the tips of her fingers, enjoying the way it buzzed against her skin, making a personal light show in the stark winter air.

 

She reached her hands out tentatively and paused, feeling the magic of the barrier vibrate against her hands. Whilst the feeling wasn’t unpleasant, it wasn’t comfortable either, making Emma shudder and she could get the whole thing over with already.  Slowly, she made her way across the perimeter of the town line, stopping every ten minutes or so to shake some feeling back into her numb hands.

She muttered to herself as she went, using every single expletive she could think of to describe Leroy, hoping for an unforgiving god to hear her prayers and turn him into a toad before the day was done.

 

After an hour and a half of walking across an icy forest trying to find gaps that clearly weren’t there, Emma had had enough. Irritated, she dialed Regina’s number, hands frozen with cold, teeth clattering against each other in an effort to prevent early death by frostbite.

 

_“_ _No Emma_ _”_ Regina’s voice echoed down the line before Emma even had a chance to open her mouth.

“Regina I didn’t even tell you what I want yet!” She protested angrily.

_“You want me to let you off the hook, lie to Leroy, lie to your mother and pretend you’ve checked the entire boundary. And you want me to pick you up two grilled cheeses on my way home.”_

“I...well...yes but-“

_“I knew it.”_

“C’monnn Regina please...” Emma groaned, the thought of a hot shower and a three-hour nap already growing more distant in her mind. “It’s so cooooold.” She continued, knowing exactly how to play the severe brunette. “You wouldn’t want me to get sick Regina, would you? Give loads of gross germs to our son...?”

Regina went silent on her end of the line, and The Saviour could only hear the shuffling of a few papers and the clicking of a pen.

“ _Fine.”_ She eventually replied reluctantly. “ _But you’ll have to buy your own grilled cheese.”_

Emma laughed, a wide grin plastered on her face, as she blew a kiss down the phone, already walking back to the bug at high speed.

A disgruntled huff was the only reply she received, as Regina smiled despite herself, wondering what she was going to do with the blonde idiot who had the feared and respected mayor wrapped tightly around her finger.

 - - - - - - - - - -

As Emma walked back towards the bug, she failed to notice the slight hum emitting from behind a tree, just next to the town boundary. Had she turned around she would have seen a blue glow and a mist rolling out towards her. But her mind was on other things and this little lack of attention would cost her much in the following days.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**_ Emma _ **

**__ **

The door slammed as Henry walked through the house and unceremoniously threw his bag on the ground with a dull thud.

“Hey Ma!” He yelled up the stairs.

Emma pulled a pillow over her head in response. Contrary to the text thread on her phone where she had promised Regina she would spend the afternoon catching up on paperwork, one thing had lead to another and Emma had chosen to forsake those probably quite important forms she found last week at the bottom of the pile, in favour of a three hour nap.

 

“Ma!” Henry shouted again as he ran up the stairs.

Emma sat up and pushed her hair out her face hurriedly, checking to make sure she had been wearing clothes when she fell asleep. She would rather she went another day without scarring her 14 year old son.

“What’s up Henry?” She asked, as her son burst through her door without knocking first. _One day_ _he’ll regret that_ _..._ Emma pushed the thought aside to focus on the words spilling out of his mouth at a mile a minute.

“…Everyone at school was talking about it earlier and I wondered if you knew, and what it was and if there’s a new thing to solve and maybe we could go and...!”

He paused as Emma held her hand up.

“Woah kid! Slow down! Talking about _what?!”_

“About earlier! At the town line!”

“Henry, treat me as if I spent the past three hours asleep, which I _didn’t_ if your mom asks, and tell me, _slowly_ what everyone’s talking about.”

Henry opens his mouth, tripping over his own words in his excitement. “So there was this giant _thing_ that Nick saw by the town line, he said it was at _least_ like 6 feet tall and blue and then Samuel said it was like 10 feet but not blue, he said it was purple, but Grace _swears_ it was white, and they heard voices and like _whispering_ and and –“

“Henry enough!” Emma swung her legs over the side of the bed and patted it, asking him to sit down next to her. “Kid, rumours get spread so fast around here, you know that more than anyone, what with your mom and all. I was at the line earlier checking for holes. Someone probably saw some of the sparks and jumped to the worst conclusion and then next thing you know, Storybrooke’s very own monster is running rampant! Seriously kid, it’s ok. Oh, and go and put my dad’s sword back in its case before he notices it’s missing!”

Henry looked shamefaced. “How do you-?”

“I can see it in the hallway through the door.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

Henry picked at the blanket nervously. “Are you sure it was nothing? Mom’s not home yet what if she-?”

“Henry, it was me, I promise. Now _go._ ”

 - - - - - - - - - -

Henry took the stairs two at a time again, only to leap down the final few and find a very irate Regina standing at the bottom.

“Hi mom!” He grinned unabashedly, and fled through the door before she could follow him, shouting about the sword he was waving like a new toy.

“Emma...!” She called up the stairs. Honestly, leaving Emma in charge of her son sometimes felt like it did more harm than good.

Emma stepped shamefacedly round her bedroom door and down the stairs, smoothing her hair down.

“Hey Regina!”

“Emma...?” The unspoken warning was clear in her tone.

“Oh! Um, me and the kid, we were, um, well, he was, look so I-“

Regina’s face wasn’t getting any less annoyed as Emma continued to ramble.

“Miss Swan, is there any chance you were asleep upstairs when my son rushed in brandishing a sword like a lightsaber?”

“I...well....yes.”

“Hmm.”

Emma hopped down the remaining steps and kissed Regina lightly on the cheek. “But I’ll cook dinner to make up for it?” She smiled angelically.

“Absolutely not Emma, I prefer my kitchen when it’s not charred to a crisp.”

Emma laughed as she followed Regina into the kitchen, for as smart as the Mayor claimed to be, she never failed to fall for the “I’ll cook dinner to make up for my sins” trick.

\- - - - - - - - - -

**_ Girl _ **

She walked down the street, the cold air whispering against her cheek, hissing its instructions in her ear. She nodded, solemn but gleeful. The voices told her what to do, and she listened, she always listened.

The girl rounded a corner, peering through the fading sunlight to the large house at the end of the road. The whispers nudged her, telling her to approach it with caution.

She giggled manically, eyes wild for a brief second before they returned to their lucid pale state.

Her jerky movements mimicked the ones from the night before, The girl didn’t walk, she danced to unheard sounds, swaying her body in a dance with an unseen partner. Her eyes darted wildly, listening closely to instructions only she could hear. She nodded again, but this time she spoke her confirmation too.

“Yesyesyes  I can do it! I can! I can get her, I can take her, I can twist her, I can play with her, I can I can I can” she hissed, her voice carrying in the quiet air.

The words she spoke were jumbled together, intonations in the wrong places, lilting upwards but then lowering down to a deep hum, as if she wasn’t used to speaking aloud and had forgotten how to.

 

“I can get her! Her!, I can take her, I can mold her and shape! Shape her and make her ours. She will become one, she will take to us as the others have. The girl will be ours. I will save! Save, SAVE the Saviour.” The girl continued to hiss under her breath as she approached the Mayor’s house. Within it, just out of her reach, was the woman she intended to claim for her own.

 

With a flick of her hand, she projected the scene inside the house to the front of her eyes, watching with barely concealed disgust as she took it all in.

 

 _Emma (_ or the blonde one, as The Girl had come to know her _) was perched atop a counter, legs swinging as she ate olives straight from the jar with one hand, whilst the other hand gestured wildly. The brunette one_ _(_ The Girl hadn’t bothered to learn her name) _was standing by a stovetop, stirring something into a pan, laughing gently at the blonde one. Then, in less time than The Girl had to draw a breath, the scene changed as the blonde one put down her food, leapt off the surface in reaction to something the brunette one had said, and was kissing her wildly._

The girls lip curled in disgust. “Revolting” she hissed in the same lilted tone as before. “She’s minneeee...” The word faded off into a manic giggle, as the girl’s eyes glittered dangerously.

“That’s right, mine. And I shall take her...”

_\- - - - - - - - - -_

 

“So Henry how was your day?” Regina asked once they were seated around the table.

Emma shot a warning look at her son, hoping he would leave out the part where she rejected his claims of a new threat in their never quiet town. As sure as she was that it was nothing, the other mother of her son may not agree with her less than laissez-fair attitude.

Henry shrugged “It was cool. We started this new science project in school. Oh, and I got an _A_ on my last math quiz! And then during recess everyone was talking about this massive explosion at the town line today. Samuel said-“

Henry broke off suddenly as Regina let out a yell.

“A _WHAT_ at the town line?!”

“An...an explosion..?”

Regina shot daggers at Emma with her eyes. The blonde held her hands up helplessly.

“I spoke to the kid about it Regina! It was just a rumour that got out of control, I swear, I didn’t do anything to the town line!”

“That’s not the point Emma! If you hear something, even if it’s a rumour from children, it’s your _job_ to look into it! I can’t believe you...!”

As Regina continued her lecture, Emma sat back sullenly in her chair and rolled her eyes heavenward. This was going to take a while.

\- - - - - - - - - -

**_ Girl _ **

The girl stepped back from the house on Mifflin Street and waved her hands. A dense ball of blue smoke appeared between them which she set aside gently on the ground next to her. Next, she conjured up a blue flame which flickered, dark and dangerous in the shadowy light, which she threw in the direction of the forest. The dense smoke began to waft out from the ground, snaking its way down to the house marked 108. The girl breathed a laugh and hopped up to perch on the wall behind her. Swinging her legs she hummed a tune, the haunting notes floating far into the dark night.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma was curled up on the couch next to Regina, cup of coffee in hand. The brunette was reading a large volume of Dickens aloud, and Emma was pretending to listen intently, whilst swiping through Instagram at the same time.

 

When Emma let out a bored huff and begin to hum under her breath, Regina laughed and set the book aside. The blonde grinned and put her head on Regina’s lap. She gazed up into the deep brown eyes, warm and soft now that a day of meetings and tax forms was over.

“Regina...” Emma started hesitantly.

“Hmm?”

“I’m sorry about earlier. I thought I was doing the right thing, I just want Henry to have a normal life, y’no? I don’t want him to spend his life waiting for the next terrible monster to come and threaten his moms. I didn’t mean to ignore anything dangerous.” Emma looked up at her, regret showing clearly in her large puppy dog eyes.

Regina sighed softly and smoothed her hand over Emma’s hair. “I know Emma, I know. And what’s done is done, we’re just lucky it was a rumour from an over excited school boy.”

No sooner than Emma had opened her mouth to respond, an incredible noise shook the house.

 

Outside the window, the sky could be seen to light up a brilliant white colour, blue sparks raining down from an unspecified point in the forest. Thick smoke curled around the windows of the house and began to creep through the crack under the door.

 

Emma rolled her eyes. Really?! Now?!

She grabbed her jacket off the side of the stairs and hurried out into the night, Regina following behind as she shouted warnings to Henry to stay exactly where he was.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Emma** _

Emma slid her keys hurriedly into the ignition and pulled out of the driveway. Or tried to. Her tires skidded uselessly against hot asphalt, the smoke clearly doing more than just obscuring her vision.

“Emma it’s not working!” Regina yelled from the seat next to her, pointing out the window to the skid marks on the ground.

“I can see that Regina!” Emma snapped at the brunette, slamming her foot down on the accelerator again, only to have the car jerk forward and then sputter to a halt once and for all.

Emma swore, a string of colourful words providing her an outlet for her frustration. She balled her hand into a fist and thumped it hard against the steering wheel, thinking fast about what to do next.

“Ok” she decided “Regina, let’s cover more ground and get this over with as fast as possible. You go towards the town to make sure it wasn’t caused by one of the many idiots who live here, and I’ll head towards the forest to find the source of the problem.” The blonde rolled her eyes, realising that she hadn’t missed this at all.

Regina nodded, pulling on her gloves and opening the car door. She leant over, allowing Emma to kiss her briefly and firmly before she slipped out into the night.

The blonde sighed before following Regina’s lead. She had no idea that the brief kiss she had given Regina would be a lifeline over the following days.

 - - - - - - - - - -

“Hello?” Emma called out cautiously, stepping out from behind a tree. She held her phone out ahead of her, using it as a flashlight. However, it wasn’t doing much good against the thick smoke which was obscuring anything more than 3 feet ahead of her.

“Is anyone there?” she called out again. She received no answer but for the crunching of leaves under her feet.

“I don’t want to hurt you! Come out so we can talk! I can help, I promise!”

Emma strained her ears, and jerked back shocked when a reply came to her from not more than 10 metres ahead of her.

“Emmmaaaaaa” A sing song voice echoed around the forest.

“Who’s there?!”

A haunting giggle taunted her.

Emma stepped forward cautiously, making sure to check for traps on the ground ahead of her.

“Show yourself!” She called into the wind.

“Follow the smoke Emma, follow the smoke.”

The voice was high pitched and deep all at once, it lilted up and down with no rhyme or reason and Emma felt chills crawl up her back just thinking about what waited for her ahead. She moved cautiously, unsure about the exact location of the unseen voice and unwilling to stumble blindly into a trap.

 

After several minutes Emma could spot the smoke thinning ahead of her. Her heart bounced off her rib cage and her pulse echoed wildly in her ears. Whilst the blonde woman always thought of herself as fairly fearless and was known for putting herself in reckless situations, the creature ahead was making her ridiculously uncomfortable for reasons she had yet to figure out. Maybe it was the voice. Or the smoke. Or the laugh? Yeah, definitely the laugh.

 

As she entered the clearing she took a breath and adjusted the collar of her jacket.

The sight she saw took her breath away and stunned her into silence.

 

A young girl sat on a wrought iron swing. Her pale blond hair was tied neatly back from her face with a large blue bow which exactly matched the colour of her neatly pressed dress. The area around her was lit up by an unseen source, and vivid green grass was dotted with brightly coloured flowers in that seemed like they must have been picked straight out of a children book.

The only thing about the girl that didn’t seem to come straight out of a Barbie princess dream was her eyes. They were a blue so light they were almost white, and they flashed and glinted with a promise of danger so raw that it took Emma’s breath away. This was no ordinary child.

“Emmaaa” the girl sung “I’ve been waiting. Waiting! For you! You! And me! I’m so glad you could make it. We’ve been waiting a long, long, _long_ time. You are the saviour! And I? I am Alice!”

The girl giggled again. Emma took a step back. Wonderland this was not, and the sweet angelic Alice of her childhood couldn’t be a further truth from what was standing in front of her.

 

Alice jumped down from the swing and extended a hand politely to her. When Emma refused to take it she growled and spat like a cat.

 

“So rude, Emma! Look at what they’ve done! To you! But don’t worry, worry not, stop worrying, worry no more, I shall fix you, and then! Then you shall join us!” Her voice rose gleefully.

“...Us?” Emma asked hesitantly. She rubbed her head, a headache pounding at the corner of her vision.

“Us! Yes! Us! My family, The Family, our family. Soon you will see Emma, soon you will understand. But first… we must fix you.”

And with that the girl stepped forward and pressed a cool hand against Emma’s head. She muttered something under her breath and allowed a mushroom of blue smoke to erupt in her hand.

Emma crashed to the floor of the forest, the blood from a cut on her head already beginning to pool on the ground around her.

The Saviour was still.

 - - - - - - - - - -

A few miles away, Regina stormed through Main Street, murderous and furious intent clearly written across her face. Once more, her day to day life had been interrupted by an imbecile and a cheap magic trick, enough was enough!

She pushed open the door to Gold's shop opened and stalked towards his desk.

“Gold!” She barked.

“Your Majesty, what a pleasant surprise, to what do I owe this honour?” the man replied in a bored lilt without even looking up from his sheet of closely written calligraphy.

“Did you sell anyone something today?”

“I imagine so Dearie, this is a shop after all.”

“You know what I meant you little Imp, now answer me before I phone your wife and tell her that I _know_ you’ve-“

Gold opened his mouth hurriedly.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Regina slammed the door behind her, unsatisfied with the man’s rambling explanations of each and every person who had entered his shop in the past 72 hours. She had been briefly amused by his description of Emma running in yesterday, panting and out of breath looking for an antidote to a curse she described as “my clothes are like, _glued_ to me! Someone is making them _suuuper_ tight and they HURT!” Gold had prescribed one less bear claw in the morning.

Aside from that though, there was nothing Regina found even remotely useful. Growling, she kicked at a slab of sidewalk and yelled when her toe hit rock. A dwarf sniggered and she threw a small ball of fire at him in response.

“This is a waste of time.” She muttered furiously to herself. Coming to a snap decision she waved her hands in the air and transported herself to a clearing in the forest.

 

Regina arrived just in time to watch her girlfriend crash to the ground, a steady stream of blood pouring from her head.

She looked wildly around for the culprit, but all she caught was a faint giggle floating on the wind.

 - - - - - - - - - -

“Emma!” Regina yelled frantically, staring at the immobile woman on the ground. Emma was still, blood pooling around her, no visible sign of life anywhere near her. The only sound in the otherwise silent clearing, was Regina's voice, screaming for Emma to answer her.

In a single moment her world shattered and reformed around her to include only her and the immobile woman on the ground. Tears pooled in her eyes which she pushed away angrily as she bent down to ground level.

Regina yelled for help, hoping desperately there was somebody else in the forest at this time of night.

The blue smoke was fading now, and with it, the flowers and the iron swing Regina had failed to notice until this moment. In under a minute the forest had returned to its normal appearance, hiding the fact that anything at all had happened there. And still, Emma didn’t move.

“Emma please” Regina whispered, breathing heavily as panic threatened to set in “ _please_ don’t do this Emma, please wake up. I need you. Henry needs you. You can’t DO THIS to us!”

 

Regina sat unmoving for several moments, trying to regain control and attempt to figure out what to do next. Phoning Whale was the next logical step but after that, then what? What if Emma-

Regina clamped down on her mouth hurriedly as a cry of anguish threatened to escape. She would not think in what ifs. Would. Not. 

 - - - - - - - - - -

Just as she was unlocking her phone to call an ambulance, she saw the blonde stir on the ground next to her. She dropped her phone and scrambled closer.

“Emma!” she shouted in relief. “Are you ok?! What happened?! We need to get you to hospital, now!”

Emma coughed weakly and tried to sit up. She winced as her fingers probed the sticky wound on her head.

“I...” She doubled over and retched onto the ground, the pain making her unbalanced.

Regina rushed to support her.

“Breath Emma, breath, it’s ok. You’re going to be ok.”

Emma shook her head and then slammed her eyes shut as the motion sent pain shooting through her.

She tried to speak again and managed this time. Her words sent a shiver of horror through the brunette woman. Her voice was thick with pain, but beneath the pain there was audible horror, disgust and fear.

“Regina? What have you done to me?”


	4. Chapter 4

“Emma!” Regina cried horrified, not quite sure what she was hearing “you think I did this to you?!”

“Well who else would it have been, if not the woman who stole my son?” The blonde rasped out, the poison in her words sharp and clear.

Emma slumped back into Regina whose arms were still circling her. She didn’t speak again and her slowed shallow breathing indicated that she had fallen into a pain induced sleep.

Regina lowered the blonde gently to the ground, ensuring that her wound was clear of mud and debris and then stood up, horrified.

What had happened when she was in town? Had the fall damaged Emma’s brain, or was something more sinister at play?

 - - - - - - - - - -

The next few hours passed in a blur of flashing sirens, hospital waiting rooms and scarce updates from rushed and overworked doctors. Snow had come in at some point, with hot food and comforting words for the shocked and harried mayor. When Regina had explained the full story, Snow’s eyes glimmered with tears before she pulled Regina in for a fierce hug. That was all the reassurance Regina had needed to know that whatever Emma’s damaged brain now thought of her, the rest of her family did not share the same ideals.

 

And although Regina used her mayoral voice, demanding answers, scaring hospital staff with her clearly vocalised anger, the doctors could only tell her what they knew, and they knew next to nothing.

 Emma had awoken shortly after arriving at the hospital and was talking clearly. She could explain her past life in incredible detail, from a description of the first foster home she had been kicked out of, to reciting the number on her license plate. However, she couldn’t answer when asked what her regular order was in Granny’s and had laughed like a maniac when the doctor requested the names of her parents. However, none of the numerous scans showed any visible damage beyond the expected signs of slight concussion.

 

Eventually, after hours which moved slower than Storybrooke during the curse, Regina had been allowed in to see her girlfriend.

She approached the door with apprehension, nerves written all over her face. Anxiety pounded away at her, causing her hands to shake and her stomach to roll in somersaults. She straightened her jacket and took a deep breath, trying to steady her speeding heart rate.

 - - - - - - - - - -

She pushed open the door with a soft click and took in the sight before her. Emma was sitting ramrod straight in the hospital bed, hair pulled back from her face in a tight ponytail. The cut on her head was long and jagged, the stitches still raw and fresh. Her eyes darted around wildly, as if she wasn’t sure where she was, and her posture was tight and tense. She looked vulnerable and defensive all at once, and as soon as her eyes locked onto Regina she clenched her hands into fists.

“Don’t come near me!”

“Emma I-“

“I said _don’_ _t_!”

Regina backed away slowly and held her hands up in defense.

“Ok, ok, I won’t come any nearer Emma, I promise. But can I ask you something?”

Emma shrugged.

Regina took a breath and dived right in.

“Emma, I don’t know what the last thing you remember is, but I promise it’s not what it seems. We...we’re happy together. Henry...he loves me now, he forgave me. Even Snow and Charming-“

“Snow?! Snow White?! You think you can convince me that my life isn’t what I think it is by telling me a _fairytale?!_ What next, you’ll tell me that my parents are Cinderella and her ugly step sister?!”

“Well actually-” Regina thought better of correcting her and amended her next sentence “what’s the last thing you remember?”

Emma growled angrily, having already been asked this question by at least 3 different people. “I remember _my_ son running away from you to come and find me. I remember bringing him back to you. I remember you hating me. I remember you trying to keep him away from me. Happy now?!”

“No Emma, what day, what day is the last day you remember?” Regina begged for an answer from the woman in the bed, her mind reeling at the venom in Emma’s words.

“The day after my 28th birthday.”

The world shattered again, and Regina fled.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Regina ran straight out of the hospital room and into the waiting arms of Snow White. She sat her down and patiently waited with her, as Regina’s wild choking sobs slowed into steady crying and then soft hiccups. Snow didn’t make any requests of Regina for information, she didn’t give her a hope speech, didn’t even tell her that everything was going to be ok. She just waited, giving the woman time and space to return to her usual composed self.

Eventually, when Regina had calmed down enough to speak, she pushed herself out of Snow’s arms and wiped her tear stained face.

“Emma...she” Regina choked out “she hates me. She doesn’t know me.”

“Regina!” Snow cried “did somebody tamper with her memories? Did they shift the truth? We can fix it!”

Regina stared blankly at the wall ahead of her. The truth was so much worse than what Snow was saying. The truth was bleak, it was empty, it was full of loss and pain, and to Regina, it meant that once more she wasn’t even worthy of her own happy ending.

Eventually she spoke again, bone deep weariness apparent in her words. “She doesn’t have any memories. They’re gone. They’re all gone.”

 - - - - - - - - -

Emma sat in bed, unmoving, her eyes darting wildly around the room. Nothing fit, nothing made sense. Whilst she _knew_ that it was just after her 28th birthday, and she had spent the day dodging the arrogant, horrendous Mayor, there were things everywhere she looked that seemed to indicate differently. Her hair was longer, the clothes folded neatly on the chair next to the bed were not the clothes she had been wearing earlier and...The way Regina had spoken to her and held her was with the casual familiarity that only comes with time and a deep personal relationship.

 Emma growled and slammed her hand against the mattress. She should never have opened the door to the young boy, family ties be damned. She should have just drunk the bottle of cheap wine and watched reality TV like she planned. Now she was here and god knows how long she had been out for, her boss was going to _kill_ her.

 

A tentative knock at the door pulled her out of the dark spiral of her own thoughts and back into the dull hospital room. A small brunette woman with a pixie cut walked in, stepping nervously as if on a floor of burning lava.

“Emma?” She whispered.

“huh...yeah? Who are you?”

“My name is Sno- Mary Margaret. I...we’re...friends.” The woman shifted nervously from foot to foot.

Emma rolled her eyes and then winced as pain shot through her wound. “Look lady, I don’t know who you are, I’m sure you’re lovely, but friends? Us? I don’t think so. Now tell me who I can speak to so I can get discharged from Crazy Town as soon as possible.”

 

Snow sat down tentatively at the edge of the bed, unsure where she should even begin explaining the past few years to Emma. Her eyes roamed over her daughter’s face, taking in the stone cold glare in her eyes and the way her lips almost disappeared, they were pressed together so tightly. This wasn’t the Emma she remembered, this wasn’t the woman who had been healed by her son and the woman she loved, this was a broken woman, one so vulnerable that her walls were impenetrable, one who had layers and layers of damage still ingrained into her. Snow visibly shivered. Was this it now? Was this who Emma was, would she have to relearn how to love and be loved in return? Was everything lost?

 

“Sometime today..?” Emma pressed, oblivious to her mother’s worries.

Snow took a breath and began, speaking fast so as to make sure Emma couldn’t interrupt.

“Ok. You think it’s been a few days since you drove into town, when Regina made it very clear she doesn’t want you in Henry’s life. You think you didn’t want a place in it anyway. But actually it’s been four years. You fought for a place in Henry’s life and eventually you got it, Regina used to hate you and now she doesn’t. Like, really doesn’t. Also that curse Henry kept talking about was real, Regina was the Evil Queen but she isn’t anymore and also I’m Snow White and um, well, you’re my daughter and- _N_ _o_ _!_ don’t interrupt me Emma!- and also haha you’re um, living together with Henry and Regina. You love her _okthatsall!_ ” Snow’s voice rose to a high pitched squeak as Emma digested everything that had just been thrown at her.

 

Emma stared blankly at Snow.

Snow stared back, hope glimmering in her eyes.

Emma pinched her arm.

Snow nodded encouragingly.

Emma tipped her head back and laughed, harder than she could remember ever laughing.

Snow’s face dropped.

 

“Lady, you’re crazy! Like, certified level batshit crazy, probably should get that checked out level crazy!”

“Emma! It’s all true, I swear!” Snow begged pleadingly.

“Why should I believe you? I’ve never seen you before in my life! Do you work for her? Do you work for Regina? Is this her brilliant plan to keep me out of Henry’s life?”

“No Emma! It’s not like that!”

“So what is it like then? Go on! Tell me! Why the _hell_ should I believe you?!”

 

“You shouldn’t.” A voice came from the doorway. “But you could believe me?”

A young boy stepped through into the room.

Henry.

 - - - - - - - - - -

“Kid?” Emma’s voice cracked and her face paled to the colour of chalk. “What...you’re...I’m...is it...Henry is it _true?!_ _”_ her eyes filled with tears as she took him in, no longer the round faced angelic ten year old he had been just hours before.

Now he towered over her bed, his face narrow and his voice deep. He looked scared, and approached slowly, worried that she would lash out on him next.

 

“Ma, everything that Mary Margaret is telling you...it’s true. Regina she...She loves you Ma. And so do I. And we’re gonna fix this, like we always do.”

“Yeah?” Emma whispered, her walls cracking as she took in the young man her son had become, seemingly overnight.

“Yeah.”

 

Emma turned away from her son and mother and buried her face in a pillow, shoulders beginning to shake. The enormity of what had happened crashed down on her, choking her until she felt she could no longer breathe. Everything that was being told to her seemed to be true, the proof now too obvious to ignore. Her son had grown up, she had parents, and not only that, parents who loved her and...Regina. Regina who no longer hated Emma, no longer wanted her out of her life. Emma’s headache roared back to life as the medicine was overpowered by sheer panic.     

 

And the fairytales?! Emma’s breath began to quicken, her chest tightening until she felt like she was choking. Her parents were fairytales?!

Emma had grown up in a world where happy endings were for the select few, the rich and privileged, the ones with money. The most that Emma was ever allowed to hope for was a subpar ending. But to suddenly be told, out of the blue one day that she not only _had_ a happy ending, but was responsible for so many other happy endings? Emma buried her face deeper into the pillow and screamed.

She couldn’t do this. It was too much. She felt mad. Emma Swan felt like she was going insane.

Somewhere in an open field at the edge of Storybrooke, Alice tipped back her head and laughed.


	5. Chapter 5

_Click. Click. Click._ Regina’s heels paced the waiting area restlessly. Water dripped unrelentingly from a tap in the corner. An overgrown tree branch knocked on the window every few seconds. An electric heater hissed in the corner.

And Regina waited.

A volunteer came in to offer her coffee, she took it numbly. An old man walked in to wait for his daughter giving birth in the delivery room. She ignored him. And still she paced. And still she waited.

Snow came and went, taking Henry with her, offering Regina a hug and a promise to be back in the morning. David dropped by to offer her pastries which were declined with a wan headshake. And still she waited.

 

If someone had asked her what she was waiting for she would have struggled to answer. Was she waiting for Emma to remember her, or for Emma to demand she leave her alone? Was she waiting for a promise that it would all be ok, or for the dreadful finality of being told it would never be ok again?

And as she waited her mood changed. Whilst at first she had been panicked, scared, anxious, she was soon channelling her emotions in the only way she knew how. Anger.

She was angry with herself, for letting Emma run off into danger alone.  She was angry with Emma for not being more careful. She was angry with whomever or whatever caused this.

 

But most of all she was angry with Emma for forgetting. For forgetting everything they had, everything they had meant to each other. For forgetting the nights spent curled into each other, content to just lie and dream about their future. For forgetting evenings filled with hot lust and thick desire, mornings full of sleepy whispers and lazy kisses. For forgetting _her._

And then the anger turned into hot bitter tears of loss and mourning and knowing that nothing would ever be the same again.

Regina Mills was lost, floating alone in a world that no longer made sense. And there was nothing she could do about it.

 - - - - - - - - - -

“Maaaaster, maaaaster.” Alice called out, her shrill voice carrying far over the wind. “I have newsssss.”

A flash of brilliant white smoke filled the air and a figure appeared.

At first glance the figure was that of a human male. But at second glance he became much more sinister. Whilst he was of an average human height and a male build, he was covered from head to toe in a thick layer of lilac fur. Manic red eyes glinted in the moonlight, and his face was half covered by a grin so wide it looked like it should hurt. To those on first name terms with the unnatural being was known as Cheshire. To those not bestowed that honour, he was known as a reason to fear your very existence.

“Speak my child, speak.” A low voice came from Cheshire, although his mouth did not move.

Alice danced on the spot with excitement as she delivered the news.

“I have... _acquired..._ the girl. Her! The girl! And master! Oh Master! I did it! She has forgotten, the girl forgot, she forgot everything!”

“Good Alice. Very good. I see I chose well. Now tell me Alice, where is the girl?”

Alice paled visibly under the moonlight. Her hands shook as she gripped them together.

“Master I...the other one! She took her! Took her away to the human healers! But fear not! Not at all Master! For I...I shall get her! I shall get her _back_!” Alice bowed to the floor, dress scraping in the mud as she lowered herself.

Cheshire sniffed. He growled slowly and began to circle Alice, who was still lowered to the ground shaking miserably.

“You failed, child.” He spoke at last, voice echoing from the trees behind him. “And failures must be punished.”

He encircled Alice with a burst of white light, and when it faded, the forest was once again empty.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma lay awake in bed staring upwards at the ceiling, trying to search for sense in the dark security of the night. She knew that Regina was waiting, pacing the night away somewhere in a waiting room just down the hallway. She didn’t know how she knew, but somehow she did. Instead of the relief she supposed she should feel with the knowledge, all she felt was more despair.

She knew that when morning broke she would have to deal with whatever lay ahead for her. She knew she would have to talk to Regina, have to talk to her parents, and have to relearn four years of memories, trust and love. And she knew it was going to hurt.

As dawn began to creep over the edge of the horizon, Emma fell into an uneasy sleep, her dreams plagued by faceless monsters chasing her into the edge of an endless pit, manic laughter creating a haunting soundtrack to her eternal doom.

 - - - - - - - - -

Regina awoke with a groan, having fallen asleep on a stiff plastic chair sometime before dawn. Her back clicked as she stretched,  dry mouth and pounding head paying testament to the hours of stress the night before.

After several seconds she sensed that she wasn’t alone. Twisting her head to the left she saw a figure standing in the shadows.

“Who’s there?” she croaked “Show me who you are.”

Instead of receiving an answer, Regina was momentarily blinded by a flash of deep blue smoke. When it cleared the figure in the corner was gone, and all that remained of their presence was a small ivory envelope and a giggle hanging in the stagnant air.

Instantly awake, Regina jumped to her feet to retrieve the envelope. It was a simple yet expensive card, cold to touch and soft against the skin. In cursive script it read:

**_Clock Tower_ **

**_12pm sharp_ **

**_Lateness will not be tolerated_ **

**_-C_ **

Holding the card up to the light, Regina tried to decipher who could possibly have sent it. Nobody with a name beginning with C jumped to mind, aside from Cora, who as Regina knew all too well, was very much dead and not coming back.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Rain thrummed against the sidewalk as Regina made her way towards the centre of town. She had spent the morning at home after being told by a nurse that Emma was asleep and not being shown visitors, family or otherwise. Regina had considered arguing but seeing as Emma hated her very existence at the moment, she had chosen to shower and sleep in a comfortable bed for a couple of hours.

Now, freshly dressed in a deep plum coloured shirt, black skirt and knee high boots, Regina strode down Main Street, feeling powerful and in control.

Whoever this “C” was, they had picked the wrong person to mess around with.

When Regina reached the clock tower, a small crowd had gathered, word obviously having gotten round about a showdown between the Mayor and a foolish idiot who was trying to take her on.

Regina spotted her sister in the crowd, a green fedora perched atop shining copper curls. Zelena rushed towards her, fear flashing in her blue eyes. Both sisters remembered the last time a similar event had taken place here, both sisters remembered the way Regina had hurtled through the glass clock, and both sisters remembered how Zelena had nearly defeated her with a few well timed waves of her hand.

And now although they were both on the same side, neither sister could help wondering if something similar was about to occur, and if the outcome would be less lucky than the last time.

Regina looked wordlessly at Zelena, who returned the gesture with a curt nod of her head and a mouthed “ _be careful.”_

_Careful._  Regina laughed mirthlessly to herself. How could she consider being careful when the woman she loved was lying alone with no memories of her own life? Careful was no longer an option, recklessness and vengeance had once more become the only way out.    

As the clock hands slowly moved towards twelve, a tense silence fell over the crowd. Regina’s breath was visible in the cold air and her hands grew numb as the minutes passed.

At five seconds past twelve, a cloud of smoke swirled into the air, transporting the figure Regina had been waiting for.

When the smoke cleared, a gasp echoed through the crowd, the awaiting figure being in every way the opposite of what they had expected.

 

A young girl stood at the foot of the clock tower, blonde hair gleaming despite the lack of sun. She positioned herself demurely; hands folded at the front of her neatly pressed dress. When she lifted her head however, it became apparent that this child was in fact the person they had been waiting for. Insanity danced in her ice blue eyes, and a red flush coated the cheeks of her otherwise porcelain face.

Regina stepped forward, paying no heed to the girl’s attempt to appear innocent.

“I presume I am speaking to the mysterious _C?_ ” she stated dryly.

The crowd leaned forward to catch the quietly spoken exchange.

“C?” The girl queried “Oh! Oh no! C is my...my master. Yes! My Master! I? I am Alice!” Her voice rose and fell as the insanity glinted in her eyes again, a mad frenzied dance in her pupils.

“Alice?”

“Why Regina!” The girl purred “don’t you know me? Alice! Alice from Wonderland of course!”              

Regina paled. Of course. How had she not figured it out yet? All this insanity, the mind games, the memory loss, all of them pointed straight to one person, to one insane person. Alice.

Alice tilted her head to the side, regarding the mayor with a cool glance.

 _She’s sizing me up_ Regina realised. _Well two can play at this game._

Regina stepped forwards towards Alice, her posture oozing confidence.

“Alice, Alice, Alice...” she purred “this certainly has been a long time coming. I was beginning to think you’d _never_ show. Now...what can I do for you?”

“I’ve come to collect! Yes! Collect what is mine, ours, theirs...mine! Now! Give it to me Regina!”

Alice laughed, sparks flashing and dancing at her fingertips.

“You’re entirely mad.” Regina observed coolly.

“Oh but all the best people are! Or worst? Best, worst, up, down, I don’t know, don’t remember...can’t, won’t, shan’t, STOP DISTRACTING ME!” Alice roared suddenly.

 

Regina held her hands up, showing Alice that she was unarmed, wasn’t going to touch her. The girl was clearly out of her mind and Regina hoped that this would work to her advantage.

“Alice, I’m not trying to distract you. I’m sorry. I just want to know, what have you done with Emma? And why have you done it? Just _tell me!”_

Regina’s voice rose and tears threatened to spill over as she struggled to compose herself.

Alice laughed, she tilted her head back and laughed a rich full-throated laugh, a laugh more terrifying than anything else that could have come out her petite pink mouth. This wasn’t just a little girl playing a game. This was someone more dangerous than anyone would believe her capable of.

“I did it! I did it because....well! I could! I took her, for me, all mine now, mine, mine, MINE, not yours! Selfish, selfish Regina! Didn’t mommy ever teach you to share?” Alice cackled gleefully.

Regina glanced towards the crowd where she could see horror, similar to the disgust and shock she felt, reflected in Zelena’s eyes.

“Keep talking Alice, or I shall show you exactly how hard I can throw someone like you across the street.” Regina tore her eyes away from her sister and focused once again on the problem next to her.

“Well! What do you want! What do you want to know?”

“I want to know...I want to know what you’re going to do with Emma.”

“Why! Haven’t you figured it out yet! I’m going to take her to Wonderland of course!”

 

Regina lifted her hands, and vanished in a cloud of smoke, leaving nothing but shocked silence behind her.


	6. Chapter 6

**_ Emma _ **

Emma sat in bed nervously twisting her hands on her lap as she waited. An overworked nurse had poked her head round the door to inform Emma that somebody would be coming to pick her up and take her home soon. The hospital had clearly decided that whatever was wrong with her would have to be fixed elsewhere. Although were elsewhere was, Emma wasn’t quite sure anymore.

 She supposed she would have to talk to Regina at some point. To arrange for her things to be put into storage until she found a new apartment in Boston, seeing as there was no way in hell she was staying in this town a moment longer than she had to. So what if she had apparently lived here for years? And was apparently in love with Regina Mills? Clearly she had been under some sort spell if she had _willingly_ moved in with that woman.

 Emma lifted her head when a soft knock on the door lifted her out of her thoughts.

“Come in?”

Henry stepped round the door, a cup of takeaway coffee and a donut in hand. Emma sighed and smiled at him. No matter what else had happened, he was still her son and she owed it to him to try act like a mother. Although, how would she act as a mother? Was she nice? Was she strict? Was she good cop or bad cop? An overwhelming sensation crashed down around Emma, panic ringing in her ears as she realised that she really knew absolutely nothing at all about her own life.

“Hey Ma!” Henry smiled at her as he placed the food down on her tray table. "Morning Kid?" She questioned in response. Was this how they spoke to each other then? Was it less of a mother/son relationship and more of a cool older sister/son relationship? Did Regina do all the important mother things then? Emma shuddered at the thought.

"So Ma..." Henry had continued to speak, unaware of Emma's internal confusion "the doctors said you can go home now so I came to get you and your mo- I mean, Snow, I mean um Mary Margaret, is gonna drive you home."

"Home? And where would that be" Emma leveled him with a glare. If he thought she was going to willingly go back to Regina's house then he had another thing coming.

Henry mumbled something and looked at his feet.

"What's that kid?"

"I said that um, I want, well mom wants, um well _we_ want you to come home with us."

Emma rolled her eyes in frustration. Clearly her plan of running away from this godforsaken town as soon as possible was going to take longer than she originally planned.

 - - - - - - - - - -

 Emma tensed as she stepped out the monstrosity of a car that Snow chose to drive. The large white house on Mifflin Street felt both unfamiliar and inexplicably familiar all at once. It was as if somewhere deep down she _knew_ this house, she hadn't quite forgotten everything about herself, but at the same time it felt as new and unfamiliar as it had on that first night when she dropped Henry home after he ran away to find her.

She shivered, the knowledge that maybe it wasn't all as forgotten as she wanted it to be making her uncomfortable. She just wanted to get out of here.

 

Henry unlocked the door, talking about anything and everything as he did so. Emma could have sworn that he was trying to jog her memory just by _talking_ her to death.

She didn't care about Regina Mills. She didn't even _know_ Regina Mills anymore. So she certainly didn't care that Regina liked peppermint tea in the evening but preferred coffee in the morning. She didn't want to know that Regina's favourite food group was carbs even though she would deny it wildly when confronted about it. She didn't care about any of this. Of course she didn't. So why was she clinging onto Henry's every word, desperately hoping he would keep telling her more.

When Emma entered the house, an overwhelming smell of cinnamon and spiced apple hit her nose, and her eyes were confronted with gleaming white marble, polished wood and an impossibly large staircase. So this was it, her house.

Regina was standing nervously at the foot of the staircase, her impeccable makeup doing little to hide how pale she was underneath. She stepped forward eagerly, towards Emma and then stopped as if she was worried that Emma would lash out again.

"Don't worry Regina" Emma stated dryly as she observed "I'm not going to hurt you. I suppose there are some things we should...talk about. So I'm willing to listen if you have anything to say."

She just hoped it wouldn't take long. She needed to leave before she remembered something that would make her want to stay. She couldn't do that. She just couldn't.

 - - - - - - - - - -

**_ Regina _ **

Regina blanched as Emma entered the house. Her eyes were cool, the warmth Regina knew she was so capable of was locked away behind layers of walls she had put back up overnight.

Regina lead Emma to sit on the couch in her study, hoping that maybe some part of her would remember it as being the place where they had shared so many evenings together.

 

Emma had sat here night after night when they returned from the Underworld, sobbing, crying to Regina, and feeling so completely lost, explaining that she wasn't mourning Hook, that she wasn't upset that he was gone. That she felt bad only _because_ she didn't feel bad.

Regina had spent countless house trying to explain to Emma that she didn't have an obligation to the man, she shouldn't have to feel bad that he was gone, that no woman should ever feel indebted to a man who calls them useless, unworthy, unwanted.

And Regina had spent many evenings comforting Emma when Emma finally understood. When Emma finally realised that she was worth more than Hook had ever made her out to be, Regina had been right there with her, holding the sobbing woman close to her, making sure she knew it was going to be ok.

And this couch was where they had shared their first kiss. It had been loving and soft, it held no prior expectations and had no ulterior motive. They were no longer the reformed queen and the saviour, in that moment, in that one kiss they had become simply Emma and Regina, two women with years of shared history and an eventual admittance of shared love.

And now it was all lost, possibly forever if Regina didn't figure this out fast enough.

She owed it to Emma and to herself to try.

 

Emma sat on the edge of the couch, a guarded expression on her face.

Regina sat down next her,  careful to keep her distance, knowing all too well that the last thing Emma wanted from her right now was closeness.

"Emma..." she began, not sure what to say, not sure if anything she said would be enough to make Emma see who she really was, what _they_ really were. She tried again.

"Emma...I know that you're angry. I know that you're hurt and confused and you feel violated. By me, by whoever took your memories and by every single person in this town who keeps telling you who you really are. But Emma, you have to believe me when I tell you that less than 24 hours ago, you _were_ the person they keep telling you that you are! You have to believe me!"

 

Emma tensed, her knuckles whitening as she clenched her fists. She had heard all of this already, Regina thought to herself desperately. She knew that if she was sitting where Emma was right now she...well, she wouldn't be sitting there because she would have stormed out. But she continued on anyway, desperately hoping she was saying the right thing. “Emma, you might not want to believe me, or anyone at all, and that’s ok. But deep down I _know_ you know that what is being said is true. I know you!"

 

"Oh you know me do you?" Emma's voice was icy, her cool gaze meeting Regina's pleading one as she spoke. "So if you know me so well, shouldn't you know that I _don't want to have this conversation!"_

 _"_ Yes you DO Emma!" Regina shouted in frustration. "And I know you do! Because if you didn't, you wouldn't still be sitting here! You would do what you _always_ do, you would run! So don't tell me that you don't want to be here Miss Swan, you can't fool me that easily. You may not know me but I _always_ know you."

Emma sat still, hands still clenched in her lap. However, her look of distaste had fallen away, allowing Regina to see just how vulnerable she really was.

"Fine" she choked out, blinking hard to keep her tears at bay "Talk, Regina. Tell me who I am, who you are, what we are. Because I sure as hell don't know anymore."

And Regina talked. Regina told her everything. She told her about the days following Emma's arrival in Storybrooke, about the lies and deceit and the curse and the final end to it all. She spoke quietly without meeting Emma’s eyes, about the vicious awful fights between them with regard to Henry. How Emma had given Regina chance after chance to prove herself and Regina had started to hate her less and less but would never have admitted it.

She told her about Neverland, and how they had pushed aside their differences to save their son. She told her, with considerable regret and more than a bit of bias, about Hook and Neal and their ridiculous attempts to win her over. And about how Emma had finally given in and chosen Hook.

Emma's face screwed up in disgust at this point. Perhaps Regina hadn't given the most desirable spin on her description of the now dead pirate. After all, how does one even begin to sugar coat copious amounts of chest hair?

Then she told her the harder things. The things they didn't like to talk about unless it was dark outside and they'd had one too many drinks.

She told her about the time Emma took on the darkness to save her and Regina had thought she was dead. How she only realised then that she loved her. How she thought it was too late.

And then suddenly it wasn't too late and her Emma was back but she was on some ridiculous quest to save a man who didn't deserve her and Regina had oh so foolishly agreed to go to hell with Emma because all she wanted, all she desperately wanted was for the saviour to be happy.

Emma stopped Regina at this point, tears running unchecked down her face. "You...you followed me to hell?" She whispered.

"Oh Emma" Regina sighed, leaning forward to wipe a tear off Emma's cheek "I would follow you anywhere you asked me to, my love."

Emma let out a strangled sob and buried her face in her hands. Regina let her stay like that for a few minutes, giving the blonde woman time to collect her thoughts. She had thrown a lot at her all at once, and whilst she felt bad about overloading her, she knew it was necessary. Emma would refuse to work in half truths or empty promises. Regina hoped that she was doing the right thing.

After several minutes of silence, punctuated only with soft hiccups as she tried to compose herself, Emma lifted her head. Her eyes were red and swollen and her cheeks were streaked with tears.

Regina opened her mouth to speak but Emma stopped her by holding up a finger.

"Wait. Regina...nobody's ever said that to me before. Nobody's ever promised that they would do that for me. Would you...do you...is that really true?"

Regina leaned forward and cupped Emma's face in her hand. She looked at Emma, taking in her pale features, looking at the delicate tears that coated her lashes. A million emotions danced in the blonde's eyes. Regina could see love and hope, desperation and fear, and above all she could see longing. Emma wanted this to be true, more than she had ever wanted anything.

"Emma Swan" she began softly "I would follow you to the end of the earth if it meant I could make you happy. I would fight demons and monsters from places darker than your wildest dreams if it meant I could keep you safe. I will always be there for you Emma Swan. _Even when you don't want me to be_. Even when you look at me and you can't see me. I will always, _always_ be there for you."

Emma leaned forward into Regina's arms, finally ready to accept that this was what she said it was. That Regina loved her and that was all that mattered. And whilst this wasn't going to be the end of it, this wasn't a cure, it was enough for now.

 

Emma sat up and pushed her hair out of her face, determination set deep into her face. "So what do we do Regina? How do we defeat Alice?"


	7. Chapter 7

**_ Alice _ **

 "Soooo" Alice sung as she tilted her head from side to side, examining the box Cheshire had just handed her "what's in thissss?"

Cheshire regarded her coolly, his eyes hooded and emotionless. He had decided to keep Alice on this operation despite her massive failure to deliver, simply because he couldn't find anyone else to replace her at this stage, aside from the Tweedle brothers and frankly, they were worse than Alice.

"It's what you shall use to recapture Emma, child." He said finally.

"Oooh!" Alice grinned widely and tapped it. A puff of glitter flew up into the air. "Sparkly!"

" _Dont!"_ Cheshire said sharply. Alice looked up in surprise. "It's...dangerous. One puff of that directly into her eyes will not only remove the necessary memories like we did last time, but it will speed up the process and plant the new memories into her at the same time."

"Cheshire! Why! Well why why WHY didn't we do that! Yes! Do that last time!"

"Oh _must_ you insist on speaking in that ridiculous way Alice, it's doing my head in. We didn't do it last time because it's much riskier, the memories aren't removed as thoroughly, it is more like putting a thin veil over them rather than extracting them. And the new memories it implants will have holes, because they haven't been tailor made to fit the person. I do not like using this method Alice, but because of you it is the only option I have left. So may the gods of Wonderland find you if you mess this up child.”

Alice nodded solemnly before picking up the box once more, laughing happily and skipping off in the wrong direction.

Cheshire sighed and shook his head. This could all go so horribly, horribly wrong.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Regina sat down opposite Emma at the kitchen table and handed her a cup of coffee. There were three more mugs waiting besides the machine and Emma eyed them nervously. She had just about wrapped her head around the fact that she was in a firm relationship with Regina Mills, who, by the way also happened to be an ex Evil Queen. She wasn't sure she was ready to put on a brave face and interact with anyone and everyone else.

"Relax Emma, it's just Henry and your parents.” Regina looked at her with warm eyes, trying her best to calm down the jumpy blonde. “We need their help if we want to figure out how to get rid of Alice and get you your memories back. Don't worry, I've made sure to warn Snow to be less...  _intense_ than usual."

"Is that...is that a necessary precaution?" Emma asked weakly.

The brunette laughed deep in her throat "Oh Emma, you have no idea."

"I have no idea about anything anymore, Regina."

"Well then my dear, I shall just have to teach you."

A rapid knock at the door startled Emma, who jumped, not realising how close she had gotten to Regina, close enough to see the fire in her deep eyes.

"I'll um, I'll get that." Regina brushed a finger through her hair and coughed, avoiding Emma's gaze.

As she walked to the door she struggled to clear her thoughts. Why did this feel so wrong? She had every right to be with Emma, every right to flirt with her however she wanted to. So why did this feel so...dirty?

_Because Emma doesn't want you. She thinks you're evil Regina, all the way through._

Regina flicked her head and brushed the tiny voice to the back of her mind. Of course Emma wanted her.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Regina opened the door to find a frantically nervous Mary Margaret waiting for her, David standing beside her looking vaguely embarrassed at his wife's histrionics.

"Oh Regina!" She gushed "How are you?! How's Emma?! Is she ok? Does she remember you or us or anything or OH! Does she remember that nice restaurant she took you to last month because David and I were thinking we would _love_ to go there! Oh! And does she-"

Snow stopped talking abruptly as Regina leveled her with a glare dark enough to extinguish a flame. They may get on better now, but Snow still remembered the days she spent hiding from the Queen in the forest and she had little desire to encounter that side of Regina again anytime soon.

 "Snow dear, I suggest you calm down before you walk any further into my house. Emma does not remember anything, and your incessant shouting won't change anything. She _has_ however, sat down and spoken to me about our relationship, and is trying to work through that at the moment. So please, for once in your life at least _attempt_ to practice the beautiful art of discretion."

Regina held the door open and allowed the shamefaced woman and her husband to hang their coats on the rack and go into the kitchen where their daughter was waiting.

 

Henry ran down the stairs, taking them two at a time. He had been hiding in his room waiting to give his moms time to try and work things out. When he heard Emma sobbing he had put his headphones on, not wanting to invade her privacy more than it already had been. When the door slammed shut, signaling the arrival of his grandparents he decided that it was probably a good time to go downstairs and pretend he hadn't heard anything at all.

 

When he poked his head around the door he saw Emma sitting stiffly, hands cupped around a mug as she stared at the white surface of the table. Regina was next to her, nursing her own mug of coffee as she nodded in agreement to something Snow was saying. She was sitting close to Emma, but kept a distance between them out of respect for Emma's current state of mind.

Snow and David were opposite them, sitting so close together that it was impossible to tell where one of them ended and the other began.

Henry grabbed a mug from the side and began pouring in instant hot chocolate. Opening the cupboard, he reached for the marshmallows and helped himself to a sizeable handful of those too. Now he just needed to find the...

"Cinnamon?" Emma asked quietly. Four heads swivelled to look at her, a range of expressions on them, from hopeful to cautious to ecstatic (Snow).

"Just a guess" Emma shrugged apologetically "I know that I like it on mine and, well, kid does have my chin, might have my tastebuds too?"

Snow deflated back into her seat and Regina shot her a sympathetic glance. Whilst the school teacher was being somewhat unrealistic, Regina knew exactly how hard this was for her.

 

"Right" Regina began once Henry had taken a seat at the table next to David "we need to end this. Soon. So I need all of you to help, give me everything you've got."

"Well first we need to know exactly what we're dealing with here." Snow supplied.

Regina glanced over at Emma who was still staring into the depths of her mug.

"Emma?" She prompted "Would you be able to explain exactly who or _what_ Alice is?"

 The blonde started nervously as if she hadn't expected to be called on this early in the discussion.

"I...um...yeah..." She stuttered, running her hand through her hair, before pulling her thoughts together and trying to remember everything Regina had told her.

"So...Alice is from a kid’s book, right? As in, Alice in Wonderland but like, apparently here she's like...evil or something but also completely batshit crazy which makes sense I guess, I mean, have you _seen_ the Disney movie?!"

 Emma looked expectantly round the table, only to be met with blank stares and a raised eyebrow from Regina.

"Oh, right, never mind then." She muttered before continuing "anyway so...Alice took my memories because she wants to take me to Wonderland, wherever that is. Only, Regina said it's not a where it's a _what_ but like, I don't understand what she meant so maybe she can explain that, I dunno." Emma sat back in her chair, lips set determinedly. Whilst her explanation was a far cry from the usual _act first, think later_ method that the Saviour tended to use, Emma had tried her best to fill the shoes of the person she usually was and Regina admired her for that. She shot the blonde a warm look and Emma returned it with tentatively.

 

"Regina?" David questioned.

"Right, yes. So as Emma explained, Alice took her memories because she wants to keep Emma as one of her own. Wonderland is, for all intents and purposes, a cult. Yes, it is also a place but that place is long gone and forgotten about. Myth says that the Hatter had a friend called the White Rabbit, who, when seeing the way the Hatter lost himself to the madness in Wonderland, viewed it as a desirable way to live. He felt that the world would be a better place if everyone was more like that."

Regina paused and licked her lips, remembering the way that she had condemned the Jefferson to a life of madness and therefore inadvertently started this whole cult. Wonderful. Yet another thing that was her fault.

"Anyway, the cult is lead by a half man, half cat creature who calls himself Cheshire. The way they recruit is by taking people, wiping their memories and turning them against everyone they love. They take memories away from directly after a specific point in time, usually a pivotal and life changing one. We all know what it was in Emma's case.” Regina shrugged apologetically “After they've taken the memories they fill the person's head with new ones. These new memories will lead the person down a path of madness until they become ready for Wonderland. And then they become one of Cheshire's lackeys."

Regina glanced over at Emma who looked pale and shaken.

"Why… why me?" She asked quietly, so that none but Regina could hear her. She didn't really want an answer, didn't want to know why they chose her. She just wanted something to make sense again, and Regina's heart ached with the knowledge that right now she couldn't do that for Emma.

 

"So...what do we do?" Snow asked, filling the silence.

"I could track Alice down and haul her into the station?" David suggested.

"I could write Emma's memories back?" Henry chimed in.

"No! Nobody is touching that pen Henry Mills!" Regina chastened.

"We could corner Alice!"

"Get Cheshire to confess and then send him to a different realm!"

"Demand Emma's memories back or Mom will set them on fire!"

"I don't think so young man."

"We could-"

"Oh I know, we-"

"Wait how about-!"

 

"STOP!" Emma yelled, standing up and slamming her hand down on the table. She was pale and her hands were trembling as she looked at them all. Regina stood up hurriedly, in an attempt to try and calm her down.

 

"Just _stop_ talking!" Emma begged, looking at them all pleadingly. "This is insane! How do any of you ever get anything _done?!_ Or does Regina have to do everything?! No wonder she cursed you all for 28 years, you couldn't even find your way out of a maze without causing a national scale panic!"

"Emma..." Regina began, trying not to smirk at what the younger woman was saying.

"No! It's true! All I want is my _life_ back but none of you can stop arguing for more than 20 seconds to think about that!

"Emma, that's not true, we're trying as best we can!" Snow pleaded, her eyes wide.

"Yes it is true! And no you're not! God are you really my mom? Look at you, look at this! It's pathetic! Not one of you has a sensible idea! And not one of you thought to ask me if I had anything to add!"

"Emma! Calm _down!"_ Regina snapped. If the woman had anything to add she would need to do it civilly. Regina had forgotten how headstrong Emma had been when she first came to town (although her still mangled apple tree certainly hadn't) and clearly this trait was back along with the memory loss.

Emma was flushed, her breath coming fast, as her anger levels rose. "No Regina! I won't! I can understand why you want help solving this, but I can't understand why you turned to a school teacher and her puppy dog of a husband to help you! And our son?! Really Regina?! He should be in school, not sitting at a table waxing poetically about magical pens!"

"Oh so _now_ you care about my son's wellbeing?!" Regina snapped back before she could help herself. She paled. She had said _my son._ Emma wasn't going to overlook that. It had slipped out before Regina could help it and now the words were out there, hanging thick and heavy in the air like smoke.

 

Emma stilled. Slowly, so slowly, she turned around to look Regina in the eye. "I _knew_ they were lying when they said you'd changed."

"No, Emma, _wait."_ Regina pleaded as the blonde woman turned and stalked out the room.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma sat on the bed in the spare room and rubbed her head tiredly. The hot anger she had felt downstairs was fading now, leaving nothing but hollow emptiness in its wake.

She knew she shouldn't have said what she did, but she also knew that she was too tired of pushing to understand, too tired of pretending that she was ok with all of this, too tired of trying to help when she didn't even know what she was helping with, to do anything about it.

She stayed that way for some time, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes, lost deep in her thoughts. Eventually she felt herself drifting off into sleep, the bright light in the room doing little to prevent her eyes from closing. Not that she wanted to prevent it. The real world hurt too much and Emma just wanted oblivion, even if just for a little while.

When she woke up next, the sky was darkening outside and Regina was sitting on the chair next to her bed.

Emma pushed herself up and rubbed her eyes, pushing her hair back from her face.

"What do you want Regina?" She asked wearily.

Regina lowered her eyes apologetically "I'm sorry." She said at last "I shouldn't have said what I did about Henry. It just...slipped out."

Emma nodded slowly. "Ok." She said, lying back down again.

"Ok?" Regina was confused. It wasn't like Emma to just move on without hashing over the core problem. Although of course, Emma wasn't really Emma anymore.

"Yeah, I guess. If you didn't mean it then you didn't mean it, right? And I guess...I'm sorry too. I know you've changed. Anybody who looks twice can see you're not the woman who I met that first night."

Regina nodded once, accepting the apology without further comment. Emma's jab had hit her hard but she would deal with that another time. For now they just needed to figure this out.

 

Emma swung her legs over the side of the bed and stretched "So are Mary Margaret and David gone?"

"They left soon after you did. Turns out you were right, neither of them had anything useful to say."

Emma sniggered, pleased to have Regina agreeing with her. "Ok well...if you're interested, I might have had an idea."

Regina looked at Emma sharply, noting the tone of voice that usually signified Emma's decision to do something ridiculously foolish and there was little anyone could do to stop her. "Ok" she sighed "I'm listening."

 

 - - - - - - - - - -

 

"No! Absolutely not!"

"Oh come _ON_ Regina!"

"Emma I said no and I meant it!"

Henry rolled his eyes and turned his music up louder. His mom and Emma were standing in the centre of the hallway shouting angrily at each other, their voices steadily getting louder. He didn't know what they were arguing about exactly, but it sounded like Emma had come up with a plan to defeat Alice, and Regina thought it was the second most unsafe thing Emma had ever decided to do. The first being the idea which caused subsequent memory loss, of course. Although that wasn't really Emma's fault, a fact which she was now angrily shouting at Regina.

"I don't care that it wasn't your fault Emma! This will be though, when it goes wrong!"

"So it won't go wrong!"

"You can't guarantee that! You don't even remember who you are!"

"So?! I can still get a psychopathic child into a headlock if I need to! I haven't forgotten that much!"

"Emma I said no!"

"Oh for GOD'S sake!! Why do you care anyway?!"

"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU EMMA!!"

Emma stopped shouting.

"Oh." She whispered.

"Exactly."

"Hmm. But Regina, if I just-"

"No!"

Ah, there was the shouting.

 

Henry pulled his headphones off and stood up. There was only one thing for it. He would have to go and sort them out himself.

He stuck his head around the door, making sure his mom wasn't about to fireball Emma. He didn't feel like getting in the crossfire today.

Emma and Regina where standing head to head, both of them red faced and angry, arguing too loudly to notice their son walking up to them.

 

"MOMS!!" Henry yelled loudly enough to get them to stop arguing and look at him in bewilderment. "What are you even arguing about now?!"

 

"Emma wants to-!"

"Regina said that-!"

Henry stomped his foot.

Emma and Regina had the decency to look shamefaced, and Regina rolled her eyes before she begrudgingly nodded at Emma, giving her permission to share her plan with Henry.

 

"Ok so like...if Alice wants me for her weird cult thing or whatever the hell it is, why don't we just let her think that she can catch me? If I go to wherever she wants to meet me and pretend that I'm like, ready to join her and let her do what she wants, she'll be really happy or at least happily batshit crazy. Whatever. Details. And so once she has me then Regina and my pare- Mary Margaret and David and whoever else I guess, could close in and capture her. Right? That's a _good_ plan. Right Henry?"

"Ummmm" He opened his mouth to agree because, yeah, it sounded like a good plan. Regina interrupted him with a raised voice.

"Do NOT drag our son into this Emma! Of course he's going to agree with you, he's a teenage boy! You and him share a similar set of mental skills!"

"Regina!"

"Mom!"

Henry and Emma rounded on her with outraged expressions on their face. Regina laughed despite herself. Even now, even when Emma didn't know the first thing about their family or their lives, she still managed to fit right back into the hole Alice had created by ripping her memories away.

 

"Mom listen" Henry began hesitantly "Emma's plan sounds like the best idea you have. You know that really, that's why you're shouting so loudly about it. You don't want to admit that you'll send Emma back into Alice's grasps just to capture her, and you feel bad. Right mom?"

Regina levelled him with a glare which was the only answer Henry needed.

 

"So let Emma do it mom. You'll be there as backup. What happened last time...it won't happen again." Henry looked up at her with big eyes, the kind he knew would make his mom melt and give into his every desire.

"Fine" Regina sighed "for better or for worse, we'll do it."

Emma grinned a large shit eating grin "Perfect. I know just where to start."

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

Emma strode down Main Street, her figure cutting a striking shape in the grey early morning. Wind whipped her hair across her face as she marched forward. She paid little attention to her surroundings and seemed focused on an unspecified point at the end of the road.

 

Unseen, parked behind a broken down building, Regina sat in her car watching carefully. Her eyes followed Emma as she walked, body positioned tensely at the edge of her seat, waiting to jump out the very second Emma signaled for help.

 

 

Emma walked until she could see the docks looming in the distance. She stopped and looked around.

"Alice!"  Her voice carried in the stagnant air. Nothing answered her except the wind whistling through the empty buildings.

"Alice! I know you're there!" Silence.

 

Regina tensed in her seat, watching the scene unfold in her side mirror. _This is a trap_ she thought despairingly. _This is a trap and I let Emma walk straight into it._

 

"Alice please! I need your help!" Emma begged the empty air, her voice shaking convincingly. "I'm ready! I'm ready for you to take me!"

 

Emma counted to three, and on the third count a puff of smoke filled the air, Alice at the centre.

 

"Emmaaaaaa" She sung "come! We have waited! We have waited so long! For you!"

Emma winced and apologised internally to Regina for the things she was about to say.

"Alice I can't do this anymore! I can’t, I...I need to go with you! They're all insane, they want...they keep telling me things! Things that aren't true! And I need to just _go!_ Please Alice!"

 

Alice grinned and then laughed outright, pleased that finally something she had set out to do had been achieved. Oh, Cheshire would be so, so, SO proud of her.

_"_ Of course Emma! Of course! We shall take you! You! To our Wonderland! Come with me!" Alice giggled as she advanced towards Emma, a glint in her pale eyes.

 

Emma backed away slowly, shaking her head. "Wait Alice, I..."

Alice took another step towards her, grinning menacingly.

"Alice! Will you take me to Wonderland?!" Another step back.

"Oh Emma! Yes! Yes, yes yes!" A lurch forward.

A mad tango began to play out in the centre of the road. Every time Emma took a step back, Alice lurched forward another step, reaching out for her. Emma was babbling on and on and on about how insane everyone was here, how much she hated it, how she couldn't stay for another second.

 

 Alice sung reassurances in her peculiar lilting tone, telling Emma about how beautiful her new memories would be, how she wouldn't even realise she had ever been here, how fun madness was. Alice giggled to herself at this. Emma's stomach lurched as she played out this mad game. For the first time since she woke up she appreciated that Regina had found her and saved her. Even if she was still lost and alone, she had people who loved her, even if she couldn't love them back just now.

 

When they had progressed about halfway down the road Emma turned around, craning her neck to find the building she knew Regina was concealed behind.

She took a breath, checking to make sure Alice was still gazing off into the distance giggling at the voices in her head. She was.

 

"NOW!" Emma yelled at the top of her voice. Regina's car door slammed open in response and she stalked towards Emma, a ball of fire ready in her hand. Snow appeared from round the corner, bow and arrow slung over her back. David followed closely behind, gun trained on a spot between Alice's eyes.

 

"Step _away_ from her, child." Regina's voice was low and dangerous, seductive as it danced within the throes of evil.

Emma walked the few steps towards Regina and motioned wordlessly towards her. Regina pulled a gun out from under her jacket and handed it to Emma, not once taking her eyes off Alice as she did so.

 

"Now Alice" Emma began, her eyes sharp and alert "you may have taken my memories. You may have ripped away every part of me. But what you forgot, what they always forget, is that I'm not _from_ your insane word of fantasy and fairytales. I'm from the real world. And in the real world, I know how to shoot a gun. I know how to shoot a gun really, really well. So choose your next move carefully." She trained her gun calmly on Alice's head, enjoying the way the girl squirmed in response.

_"_ What do you...What do you want?" Alice squeaked out, terrified for once.

"What do I _want?_ What do I WANT?!" Emma yelled, her voice echoing back to her over the wind. "What I want is my LIFE Alice! I want my life back! I want to know who I am, I want to know how I got here, and not just from someone else's recounted point of view! I want to know how I felt when I decided to stay in this godforsaken town! Or how I cried the first time I felt like a mother to Henry, not just an awkward older sister! I want to know..." Her voice lowered to a whisper, giving away the emotion she was trying to conceal "I want to know...how it felt to hear Regina say she loves me, for the first time. And I-" Her voice broke "I just want to be _me_ again."

 

Regina gasped and slowly extinguished the fire she was holding. She raised a shaking hand up to her mouth. Emma, her Emma, was still in there somewhere, she knew it. She knew it beyond a shadow of a doubt, Emma's speech proved that to her. She blinked back hot tears and recomposed herself. The fire in her hand sparked back to life and her eyes shone with anger.

 

"So Alice, what will it be? Will you return the Saviour to her true self, or do you want to make the coming days very, very hard for yourself?" Regina stared down the girl until she blinked and looked away, unable to meet the powerful gaze of a Queen.

"Never..never ever ever, I shall not! I shall not give her up! I shall not, will not, CANNOT give up the Saviour!!" Her voice rose in fright, in anger, in indignation, Regina wasn't sure which. She didn't leave time to find out. Lazily, she flicked her wrist and sent woven ropes flying towards Alice. Her hands were pinned behind her back with a gust of wind. A gag was placed over her mouth.

In one swift motion Emma tucked her gun into the side of her boot and shook her hair back from her face. Calmly she walked over to Alice and picked her up, flinging the girl over shoulder. Alice struggled against her, pushing and kicking and pinching, until Regina waved her hand again, knocking the girl out.

 

 _They had done it,_ Regina observed in amazement as she made the drive back to the house, Emma besides her and Alice lying across the back seats. _Emma had actually done it._


	9. Chapter 9

Emma threw Alice unceremoniously across the bed and looked up at Regina. She grinned and then laughed outright when she took in Regina's appearance

The brunette woman was wiping away tears which were falling faster than she could stop them. But at the same time she was laughing so hard that she could barely stand up straight and was relying on the bedpost for support.

"Are you...ok?" Emma asked hesitantly. Was this what Regina was always like? Was something wrong? Should she get help?! Oh god, was she in love with a madwoman?!

 

"I'm fine, I'm fine" Regina waved her hand away impatiently "Emma, look at us! Look at this mess! Oh god I don't know if I should laugh or cry!"

"I think you've pretty much got that one covered Regina" Emma muttered under her breath. Regina shot her a look. "Sorry. Continue."

"I mean, really Emma, have you stopped to consider how crazy this is?! I'm in love with someone who doesn't even know what my favourite food is anymore and you...what are you doing? Are you just sticking around to make me happy because you think you should?! Out of some twisted obligation? Do you...do you want to leave? Emma?!"

 Regina wasn't laughing anymore. Her words were accompanied by deep gulping sobs that she couldn't control as she looked at Emma with wild, desperate eyes.

"Why are you still here Emma?" She asked again. She slid down the wall and cradled her head in her hands. Nothing made sense anymore. She wanted to be strong for Emma, her precious Emma who was so lost and so afraid but...Emma seemed fine now. Emma was running around with her gun, confidence oozing from every pore. She fit in to her old life effortlessly, the life she had before Storybrooke and the curse and before Regina. She didn't need this life anymore. She could leave tomorrow if she wanted to, no strings attached.

But if she did, the people she left behind would be ripped apart, helpless and unable to change anything.

And that scared Regina more than she would ever admit.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma slid down the wall beside her and waited. She didn't say anything as Regina cried into her hands. She waited silently as Regina regained control of her emotions and her crying slowed. She didn't say anything when Regina lifted her head and looked at Emma with red rimmed eyes. She just waited.

 

Regina stared at Emma, waiting for her to say something.

Emma stared back, waiting for Regina to speak first.

Regina said nothing.

Emma waited.

Regina hiccuped quietly.

Emma's lips twitched.

Regina glared at her. And hiccuped again.

Emma laughed long and hard, only laughing harder when Regina began to protest.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" She squeaked out "I can't help it! You sound like a baby squirrel!"

"Emma!"

"Well it's true!"

"Is not."

"Is."

"Is _not!"_

 _"_ Hmm. Can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

"Have you ever...hiccuped in a council meeting? Do the people know that their Mayor is actually a baby animal posing as an adult?" Emma grinned wickedly and ducked as Regina picked a cushion up off the floor and threw it at her head.

 When Emma's laughter subsided she looked back up at Regina with serious eyes.

"Regina, I won't lie to you. I won't pretend I haven't considered going back. I could start over in Boston, go back to my job. I'm good at it. Really, really good. But then I realised something. And I can't promise to explain it, because I don't know how to. But...with you, I feel something like I've never felt before. I mean, I suppose I have felt it before but I don't remember it. Whatever, you know what I mean.” Emma took a breath and then continued.

“With you Regina...I feel like I'm home. I'm out of place and I'm confused but somehow I just fit. I fit here, and everything feels right even though it's all upside down. Somewhere in me, I know that this is where I'm meant to be, that it's _you_ I'm meant to be with. I'm not here out of twisted obligation. I'm here for you, Regina Mills. Nothing more and nothing less." Emma stared at Regina through earnest eyes, pleading with Regina to hear what she was saying.

 

Regina's eyes locked with Emma's, deep swirling brown against stormy green. A second passed, the longest second of Regina's life, as she searched Emma's eyes. Then, slowly, oh so slowly she leaned in, taking in every inch of Emma's face, from the pale skin which turned into a delicate pink on the apples of her cheeks, to her lips, soft and warm and inviting.  

And Regina kissed her. Regina kissed her, softly at first and then harder, faster, making up for lost time and broken promises.

And Emma, her sweet, sweet Emma, she kissed her back, caution thrown to the wind. In this moment the only thing that mattered was Regina's lips on hers and her hands running through Regina's loose hair.

In that moment everything else ceased to exist. The monsters and demons that haunted them faded into the shadows, forgotten in the moment. Madness and memories and fears that kept them awake at night were flung into dark corners, forgotten, unimportant, and unneeded.

Slowly Regina pulled away, her hands still cupping Emma's face softly.

"That was..." She began.

Emma interrupted her by once more crashing her lips into hers, furious and fast, trying to take all she could. She wanted this, no _needed_ this, more than she could possibly say.

It felt right, it felt like coming home, it felt like finding yourself after being lost for so long. Emma kissed her, twisting their positions until she was sitting atop Regina, lowering her head to reach Regina's lips.

They fit together better than Emma would ever have believed. Muscle memory took over and she moulded to fit Regina, pressed tightly against her, kissing her with all her might.

They didn't go any further than that, they didn't need to. For now, this was enough. This was more than enough. This was everything.

 

A large explosion echoing off in the distance broke them up, Regina pulling away in shock, Emma slamming her hands over her ears as a reflex reaction.

When the ringing had somewhat subsided she lifted them off tentatively and shook her head. "What was that?!" She asked, somewhat accusingly. Regina winced, the softness she had felt just a minute before fading fast.

"How should I know?!" She snapped back angrily.

Emma held her hands up in defence "Wow ok, chill. I wasn't like, _accusing_ you Regina! I just thought maybe you would know!"

Regina sighed. It seemed to be one step forward and three steps back with them at the moment. "I'm sorry Emma. I don't know what it was. But I'll have to go and find out. Will you wait for me here?"

"Wait what? Why can't I come?!"

"Because it will probably be someone looking for you, and I am _not_ foolish enough to lead you straight into a trap."

Emma hummed and then shrugged "Hmm. Guess you're probably right."

"Of course I'm right. At least _one_ of us in this relationship has some brains."

"Oh yeah?! Well then that would make me the brawn, so you had better watch out, Regina!"

Emma stuck her tongue out at Regina as she turned to leave. When she heard the rev of a car engine outside, signaling Regina's departure, Emma sighed to herself and offered up a silent prayer that Regina would be safe. It was strange how much she cared for a person she no longer knew at all. And yet she knew that if anything were to happen to her, she would hurt deeper and harder than she would have thought was possible.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Regina stepped out of her car smartly, heels clicking on the uneven sidewalk. The source of the explosion seemed to be about 50 feet down the road, and Regina wanted to get a closer look before diving headfirst into disaster. Purple smoke curled up into the grey sky, and sporadic flashes of pink lit up the surrounding area.

She sighed. She should have known who it would be. Cheshire had clearly come looking for his toy, and upon finding that Regina and Emma had her trussed up like a turkey in their spare room, he had come to claim her back.

"You can come out now!" She called into the distance. No more than three seconds had passed before a shadowy figure slunk out of the smoke.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Cheshire bared his teeth in a predatory grin, and bowed mockingly in Regina's direction.

“Regina Mills...Oh how the mighty have fallen. Look at you. And you used to call yourself a queen...tragic really.”

Regina tensed imperceptibly. It seemed that all her weak spots were being hit today, all at once with no relief.

“Believe me Cheshire; I can prove to you that I am every inch worthy of the name I chose for myself. _Now,_ do you care to find out?” She replied coolly, her gaze leveliang with his.

Cheshire scoffed, the grin never leaving his face. Instead of stepping back in fear like Regina had hoped for, he took a step closer, his hot breath hitting her face. She winced. He _stank_ of fish.

“Now...” he continued “shall we do this the easy way...or the hard way?”

Regina rolled her eyes, trying not to let fear and vulnerability show in her expression.

“Such a clichéd saying that, don’t you think?” she faked a yawn, tapping her foot impatiently.

 Cheshire growled quietly. Regina held up a finger, indicating that she wasn’t finished talking yet.

“You want Alice?” she jerked a thumb towards the direction of her house. “Fine, have her. I have no use for that incompetent, insane child anyway. _But_ I want Emma back in exchange.”

“You already have Emma. The deal is done. Now give me what is mine.” He grinned smugly, pleased at the loophole he thought he had found.

“ _No!_ You know what I mean, do _not_ play games with me, or you’ll soon enough find that I’m not in the mood. Give me _my_ Emma, the Emma with memories of her life here. Not a broken empty shell, a ridiculous excuse for the woman I know. I will not accept any other payment. You may have the snivelling rat when, and _only_ when I get my Emma back.”

 

Cheshire growled again, anger flashing in his red eyes. This was not the plan. Not the plan at all. By his calculations, he should have been halfway home by now Alice in tow, with a willing and compliant Emma accompanying them, new memories implanted in her head.

He had underestimated the former Evil Queen, as so many did. And now Alice was captured, tied up somewhere, unable to complete the job she had set out to do, and Emma was comfortably ensconced in her house, her head filled with nothing of any value at all.

The elders wouldn’t be pleased about this, wouldn’t be pleased at all.

 

“...But what I don’t understand Cheshire, is what you want with Emma anyway.” he snapped back to attention, realising that Regina was still talking to him.

“I thought Alice explained it to you.” The idiot child couldn’t follow even the most simple of instructions.

“Please.” She laughed, a harsh cold laugh filled with no humour at all. “That girl couldn’t explain her way out of a cardboard box. She explained in her own way, so now Cheshire, tell me in actual English. What. Did. You. Intend. To. Do. With. Emma?”

“Oh Regina. Where to begin? Oh I know. Let us begin with the amount of potential that girl has. Does she have potential for good? Yes. Does she have potential for bad? She most certainly does. And lastly, does she have potential for madness? Oh yes, yes she does. She has quite a _delicious_ amount of that. And a potential for madness is exactly what we, in Wonderland, look for. So we found Emma. Emma, with her perfect small town life, living with a reformed villain and their son. Now see, _that_ version of Emma wouldn’t do at all, so _incredibly_ dull."

 

Cheshire paused and grinned to himself as he thought about their plan. It had been so perfect, so flawless, so incredibly unique. He growled under his breath again as he recalled how it had all gone wrong. He continued on.

 

"So I sent Alice after her. Alice was meant to take her, wipe her memories of you and this town. Then we were to take her back with us and fill her with madness, warp every memory of her life, twist them into so many different shapes that she would be unable to begin to make head or tail of them. And then finally...she would be ours.”

 

Regina shook her head impatiently, not getting what she needed to know from him.

“Yes yes, Alice told me all of that, in fewer words with more ridiculous laughter but what I still don't understand is _why._ Why are you doing this?!”

Cheshire tipped back his head and laughed until tears poured down his face and matted his fur.

“It’s Wonderland Regina! There is no rhyme or reason, top or bottom, head or tail, sense or sensibility! We’re doing it because we _can!_ _”_

Regina wondered if maybe Alice wasn’t the only one who was entirely insane.

 - - - - - - - - - -

 Meanwhile, back at the house, Emma was bored. She wandered from room to room, looking at the house with the detached interest of someone who is simply passing through. She didn't touch anything for fear of breaking something that wasn't hers, until she found herself in the living room looking at the photographs on the wall.

A shaky gasp left her as she saw the wall of photos. Her eyes filled with tears as she stepped towards them, drinking in every detail in every photo.

Her life from the past four years was laid out on a wall in front of her. A life she no longer remembered, but suddenly wanted to remember more than she had ever wanted anything before.

Photographs of Henry hugging Emma were laid out for all to see, Emma's smile growing larger and more comfortable in each picture, until she was actively hugging him back, a wide grin splitting her cheeks. Regina began to appear in the pictures later along the wall, uncomfortable and on edge, hovering near the frame, arm lightly touching Henry's shoulder. Then came a picture of Emma and Regina, arms slung around each other in comfortable companionship as Henry laughed, head turned up towards Emma, eyes shining at something she was saying.

 

The last picture though, that was the one that caught Emma's eye. It was a simple photograph, framed in white wood, captured on probably the most amateur of cameras.

The sun was setting in the distance, causing everything in the photo to become a dark silhouette against a brilliantly lit up sky. Emma and Regina were captured in the centre of the photograph, heads close to each other as they spoke. The photograph was simplistic to the extreme, but eerily beautiful in a way that Emma had never seen before. She reached a hand up to it, tracing the silhouette, trying desperately to find a connection between the woman on the wall and the woman she was right now.

She couldn't.

There was nothing.

There was a mere shell were before there had been a strong, confident, loved woman, surrounded by family and friends. A woman who knew she was never alone, who knew that she would never be unloved and lost again.

Except now she was lost and all she wanted, all she wanted more than anything in the world, was to be that woman again.

 - - - - - - - - - -

"You really love her, don't you?" A voice came from the door. Soft footsteps entered the room behind Emma. She jumped and spun wildly.

Alice was standing at the entrance of the doorway, barefoot, with her hair draped loose around her face. Her eyes looked calmer than they had ever looked before, and her movements were smooth, controlled.

 

"Alice!" How...how did you get out?!"

 "You know what they say...when there's a will there's a way. Oh! And magic." Alice giggled softly.

Emma backed away slowly, her hands up in the air. "Alice...whatever you want to do to me...please. Please don't. You've done enough to me."

The blonde girl bowed her head to Emma and extended her hands.

"Emma. I shall not hurt you this time. You see...I didn't know. Didn't know. All those times. When I saw you with Regina I, I, I, I thought you were bored. It looked...boring. I thought! Well! Cheshire thought, we should...rescue you. Or, that's what he told me. I didn't know, didn't know, didn't, I know, I didn't I-"

 

Emma interrupted her, placing a hand on the girls shoulder and guiding her to the couch. With the madness that usually clouded her eyes gone, Alice simply looked like a lonely little girl, and that pulled on Emma's heart in a way nothing else did.

"Alice. It's ok, just...tell me slowly, ok?"

Alice nodded shakily, taking a breath and beginning again.

 

"When...when Cheshire said he had found his next choice, I mean, target I mean, I mean, you, he told me that you would _want_ it. He said you were bored, he said you would have fun, that you just didn't realise it yet. And I...I though he was right because...well because he's Cheshire! He's always right! Isn't he?!" Alice looked wildly at Emma before taking a breath and continuing. "So I did it. I did everything he wanted. I watched you for weeks Emma! Weeks and weeks and weeks and I...I thought he was wrong. You looked so happy! But I couldn't upset Cheshire, Emma, I just couldn't! So I...I did it anyway. And then I, I saw Regina in the forest after, and I realised what I had done but! It was too late! Too late!" Alice gasped, tears pouring down her face as her eyes flashed around wildly. She wrung her hands together and tugged the ends of her hair, fingers scrabbling like a angry cat.

 

Emma looked at her, trying to make head or tail of what the girl was saying.

From what she understood, Cheshire was  just a mangy old cat with a thirst for power and no real plans for how to get it. She asked as such and in response, Alice burst into even wilder tears.

"Wow, wow, ok kid, calm down, um...do you want a tissue or anything? Um, I..." Emma stood over her, unsure of what to do. On the one hand, there was a sobbing child in her house, but on the other hand, the sobbing child had taken all her memories and turned her life upside down.

Alice composed herself with a few hiccups, and wiped her eyes on her arm. She sniffed loudly.

"I can't upset Cheshire Emma! He's all I have! And if I do something wrong then...the elders will find him!"

"The elders?"

"They're... a myth. A legend. People say that the elders were the ones to find Wonderland, so many years ago. Everything we do here is in their name! If I do something wrong, they might hurt me! Or Cheshire! And, he's a-a-all I haaaaaaveeee!!" She broke down into tears again and Emma stared off into space as she waited for her to compose herself.

Was Alice, in whatever insane, long winded method this was, saying that she was going to give Emma her memories back? It certainly sounded like it. She waited patiently for a few minutes, and then less patiently for a few more. Eventually she spoke, harshly, her tone cool and angry. "Alice. I have no time for this. My gir- Regina, is off fighting that mangy old cat man and frankly, I'm worried stiff about her. So tell me Alice, are you here to give me my memories? Or just to cry self pityingly on my sofa?"

"I-"

Emma cut her off and continued "because, if you aren't going to give me back my damn memories already, you can walk yourself back up to the room I put you in and wait until Regina comes back! And god knows she won't be as nice as me about this! So for the love of god Alice, tell me why you're here!"

 

Alice paled, her tears vanished and she sat up straight. "Emma" she whispered "I want to give you your memories back. But you have to promise, promise to protect me when Cheshire comes looking, otherwise! He'll kill me Emma! He will!"

Emma nodded, her mind spinning in fifty different directions. She jumped up, thinking on her feet. They didn't have much time, but she had a plan.

 - - - - - - - - - -

At the edge of town, Regina was pacing in circles around Cheshire, studying him from every angle as she decided what to do next. Bargaining with him was going nowhere, and she knew that she was running out of options. He had already made it clear that his next move was going to be to fetch Emma and finish this off once and for all.

 

Panic set in and Regina ought to think clearly through it. But as hard as she tried, all she could see was Emma being taken, Emma being injected with madness, Emma turning into another creature, just like Alice. Emma being lost to her forever. She walked away from Cheshire towards the edge of the docks, staring into the grey water below. She breathed a shaky breath and held her hand out, summoning fire. Blowing it out gently, she repeated the process several times, calling fire and blowing it out. The simple action calmed her, she realised that no matter what came next, she had her defence, she could fight. And hell, she would fight to the end of the universe if she had to. She would not, could not, lose Emma.

Regina jumped when her phone began to vibrate in her pocket. Glancing around, she saw that Cheshire was not facing in her direction, instead choosing to pace angrily up and down the street as he waited. She pressed answer on the phone and put it to her ear.

"Regina" Emma's voice whispered tinnily.

"Emma, is everything ok?!"

"Yes...no...I don't know?"

"Well speak quickly then, Cheshire is getting impatient."

"About wha- oh, never mind. Alice said she can give me memories back Regina, but I need your help."

"She will?! Why?!"

"That's not important now Regina. Just _listen."_ Emma's voice was urgent, indicating how short on time they really were. "She can give them back to me, but only if we help her afterwards. She said she needs to disappear, that Cheshire will hurt her. Can we do that?!"

"Why in the name of god, would I help that creature?!" Regina exclaimed angrily. Help Alice?! After all she had done?! Emma couldn't possibly be thinking straight.

"Because it's our only chance Regina! Please!" Emma begged, her voice breaking.

"Ok. Ok. Of course I'll help. Take Alice, take her to the library. At the back of the library there's a wall with a hidden elevator behind it. Ask Belle at the front desk. She'll know what it is."

"And then?!"

"Take the elevator down there with Alice. It leads straight into a group of caves. The caves used to hold Malef- an old friend. They're empty now. But they're untraceable. She'll be safe down there. You won't be able to leave until I come for you. Do you understand all that?"

"..."

"Emma?"

"Yeah, um, hidden elevator, caves, stay till you come, yeah, ok."

"Ok. Good luck." Regina paused, inhaling sharply as tears stung at the back of her eyes. She needed to say something, she needed to, because she might never get the chance to say it again. "Emma, if I...if something happens, I...I love you."

On the other end of the line, Emma stopped in silence. Something unspeakably powerful pulled at her heart as the words hit her. To her right now, it was the first time she had ever heard those words. And she realised she didn't want it to be the last time she ever heard them either.

"Regina I..."

 

The line cut off with a hiss. All that Emma had planned to say hung in the air, thick and heavy as smoke. The silence was deafening.


	10. Chapter 10

Regina stared at her phone in shock, or rather, she stared at the charred remains of her phone. Cheshire was standing nearby, blowing on his paws coolly.

"Chop chop Regina." He purred, not deeming to look in her direction. "Lead me to the girl, or I shall start hurting your precious, _precious_ townspeople. And do not underestimate me on this, Miss Mills."

Regina nodded shakily and walked towards him. "Ok." She whispered. "Ok, let's go."

She just hoped that Emma would move fast, because if she was still there when Cheshire got to the house, that would be the end of everything, and Regina wasn't sure she could bear that.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma ran through the streets wildly, tugging Alice along by the hand. She stopped for nobody, not even traffic, as she pelted towards the centre of town. She knew she didn't have much time. Every second wasted was another second Cheshire had to catch up with them, and Emma wouldn't let that happen. For her sake, and for Alice's sake.

Something between them had shifted during Alice's confessional. It wasn't that Emma forgave her, Emma wasn't sure she could ever do that. It was more of an understanding than anything else. Emma understood Alice's need to impress Cheshire. After all, wasn't Alice just one more lost little girl?

Emma had spent her childhood doing what other people said she should, not because she wanted to, but because she craved the approval she knew she would get from them.

All Alice wanted was someone who loved her, and Cheshire had abused that. And Emma damn well knew that if she didn't get Alice away from that, she was as much to blame as the bastard cat was.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma slammed open the door to the library, and pushed Alice inside. When she was sure she had locked the door to prevent anyone else coming in, she looked around fast.

"Belle?!"  She yelled "is there anyone called Belle in here?!"

 A young brunette came out from behind a tall bookcase, glasses perched on her nose and a smudge of dust across her forehead. When she opened her mouth, a broad Australian accent filled the room, seeming almost too big for her petite from. "Yes, That would be me. what can I do for- oh! Emma! Hi!"

"Um...hi. Do we know each other?" Emma asked, confusion in her eyes.

"We do, yes. Fairly well actually. Regina explained what happened to you, don't worry. Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Oh! Right!" Emma put her hand out to Alice and pulled her forward to face Belle. "This is Alice. We need to put her in the basement."

"We...we what?"

Emma rolled her eyes and proceeded to explain in more detail. Honestly, would it really have hurt Regina to phone ahead occasionally?

\- - - - - - - - - - -

Slowly, more slowly than she would have thought possible, Regina unlocked the front door to 108 Mifflin Street. Every second that passed would buy Emma and Alice an extra second, and Regina needed that more than anything, for Emma's sake, not for Alice's. She didn't give a damn about what happened to the scrawny little devil, but if saving her meant saving Emma then she would do whatever she needed to do to make that happen.

"Ms Mills, I do not have all day." Cheshire purred beside her, impatience flashing in his eyes.

She rolled her eyes and unlocked the door. "Go on then, knock yourself out. Go and find Miss Swan."

 

Cheshire began to move from room to room, searching methodically for Emma and the girl they held captive. Regina smirked to herself, knowing full well that they were long gone and probably halfway to the library by now. She waited patiently.

 

Less than five minutes had passed before an angry roar echoed down the hallway to Regina indicating that he had realised his possessions were no longer in the house. Furious, he stomped towards Regina, sparks flying from his hands. "Where is she?! Where is Emma?! Tell me!! Tell me now!! WHERE IS MY PRIZE!!"

 

Regina feigned a look of innocence, not a particularly convincing one by any means. "Oh dear, are they not here? What a shame. It's almost as if someone told them you were coming. Pity."

"Regina Mills....you shall....you shall pay for this!" Cheshire's chest heaved furiously, from anger or exertion, Regina couldn't be sure.

"Oh shall I now?" Her eyes glinted dangerously. "You'll have to catch me first I'm afraid." And with a flick of her hand, Regina was gone in a cloud of purple smoke.

\- - - - - - - - - -

Meanwhile in the library, Emma and Alice stood at the entrance to the elevator, staring down with open mouths.

"So to get this straight...if I take Alice down there...nobody will be able to find her?"

Belle nodded cheerfully. "Yup. Totally untraceable. Regina used to keep a dragon down here and she had to make sure nobody could find it!"

"Used...to?

"Yep! You killed it!"

Emma blinked slowly. Today was full of surprises it seemed.

"Anyway, no time to lose, in you get!"

"Wait what?! Now?"

"Yes, now! Regina will absolutely _kill_ me if I don't get you down there in time, let's go!"

 

Emma stepped nervously into the small claustrophobic space and motioned for Alice to follow her. The girl was silent, her eyes darting round like a frightened rabbit. Pale hands twitched by her sides, agitation only fuelling her madness.

 

Belle nodded at them as she began to crank the heavy lever. "Good luck." She said simply, and her eyes met Emma's briefly. The elevator began to make it's long descent into darkness. Emma just hoped she would make the return trip unharmed.

 - - - - - - - - - -

The cave was dark, and Emma stumbled over her own feet as she emerged from the elevator shaft. Blinking quickly, she willed her eyes to adjust to the darkness. She had always been apprehensive of the dark, but now, with all the monsters lurking in the back of her mind, she was keen to find some light to keep them at bay.

"Here. Try...this." Alice waved her hands, as if sensing Emma's discomfort. A small globe of white fire lit up in her hands, illuminating the surrounding area. Emma breathed, once more able to focus on what she needed to do.

 

"Ok...let's try walking this way I guess?" She asked, beckoning to Alice.

Mistaking the wave of a hand for an invitation, Alice grabbed hold of Emma's hand with her own. Emma recoiled but didn't pull her hand away, conscious of what the rejection might do to the girl. She seemed stable for the moment, and Emma didn't want her slipping back into insanity.

They walked in relative silence. Every so often Alice would mutter a string of unintelligible words, arguing with whatever voice in her head was telling her this was a bad idea, that she shouldn't be working with Emma.

Emma thanked any gods that might be out there, for the fact that Alice ignored the voices and kept walking.

Eventually they stopped in a clearing, far enough away that it could not be seen from the entrance, but close enough for Emma to find her way back if...if Regina never came for her.

 

She kneeled down next to Alice, looking the girl in the eye.

"Alice. I've done my bit. I've taken you somewhere safe, somewhere Cheshire can never find you. Will you do what you promised now? Will you give me my memories back? Please?" Emma's eyes filled with tears. What if Alice snapped back and refused. What if she couldn't give them back to her? What if Emma had come all this way for nothing, what if she never got them back?

Alice hissed and let out a string of words, all jumbled together in an unintelligible mess. She lashed out at the air, batting away shadows that only she could see.

She fell to her knees and yelled, tears pouring from her eyes as she fought her instincts and her demons. Hot flashes of white burst from her hands as she clamped them over her ears.

 - - - - - - - - - -

Emma watched silently as she battled with herself, praying that Alice, and not the madness, would win.

Just as she was beginning to lose hope, sure that Alice was gone and the madness was all that was left of her now, a flash of purple smoke lit up the cave around her. Emma turned around to see Regina standing mere metres behind her, a grin on her face as she waved away the remnants of the smoke.

"Miss Swan..." she purred, enunciating her words clearly, her voice dropped to a sultry tone "fancy seeing you here."

 

Emma grinned despite herself. "Yeah, maybe now isn't the right time for that. How about after I get my memories back?"

"That will do just fine, Miss Swan. And about that, is the child...ok?"

"I think so? I think she's just working through some things. The madness doesn't want to help me, y'no?"

Regina hummed in agreement. Just as she was about to speak, an unearthly shriek echoed around them.

"NOWWWWWWWWWW!" Alice screamed, as white light streamed from her fingertips. The strands of light connected themselves to Emma, pouring into her, streaming into every pore. No part of her was left untouched until she was entirely enclosed in a spiralling, spinning ball of white light.

Then, the light vanished, the cave fell into darkness again, and Emma crashed to the floor.

Silence.

The cave was silent.

Nobody moved, nobody breathed. Regina watched with baited breath as Emma continued to lie silent on the ground. Her mind flashed back to a similar situation mere days ago, although it felt much longer than that. She hoped that she would have a happier outcome this time round.

Alice, calm at last, stared at the scene before her with wide eyes, hands clasped together tightly.

At last, after a more time than she could keep track of had passed, just as Regina's breath had begun to hitch in panic, Emma twitched. She moved once. She moved twice. And then she opened her eyes.

 

"Where...what...where's Regina?" She whispered throatily, her voice thick with tears.

Regina stepped forward quickly. "Emma! Has it worked? Do you...do you remember?"

Emma sat up and put her hands out. Regina latched onto them like a lifeline, waiting for Emma to speak again.

The blonde woman quirked her signature lopsided grin once, and pulled Regina down. Screaming in surprise, the brunette fell onto Emma, who knocked back down to the ground with a crash.

 - - - - - - - - - -

All of eternity passed in between one heartbeat and the next. Emma breathed once and then let it out, the hot air brushing on Regina's neck. And then she said it, the words Regina needed to hear more than anything, the words that could fix her shattered world and make her whole again. The words she had been waiting to hear since that awful night in the forest.

"I remember."

Green met brown, with all the burning passion of a storm on a windy day. Lips met and worlds collided, and Emma Swan was whole again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whelp! That's it! I started this fic as a challenge to myself because I absolutely *suck* at long fic, and I wanted to see if I could reach the minimum 10k without having a tantrum and throwing my laptop out the window. A few months later I had 22K words and a (more or less) intact laptop. So that's that then!  
> Thank you again to everyone who encouraged me whilst I was writing this, and to everyone who put up with my complaining all over their twitter feeds, I'm sorry, I swear!  
> And massive thank you to the people who organised the Supernova,for all the time and effort they put into it, and for putting up with me missing deadlines, going AWOL and asking inane questions, it's been real!
> 
> Comments and feedback is always more than welcome and I would love to know what you think so drop me a line (does anyone say that anymore) either here, or over on twitter (@findmethestars)  
> Until next time!  
> Shira

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [[ART] Cover for Plot Holes](https://archiveofourown.org/works/8787808) by [coalitiongirl](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coalitiongirl/pseuds/coalitiongirl)




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